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Turning beef production attacks into a positive

Kim Stackhouse-Lawson, director of sustainability for JBS, spoke at the National Farmers’ convention in Iowa.

Beef production has become a focal point in recent discussions about climate change. But a beef sustainability expert says that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Kim Stackhouse-Lawson, director of sustainability for beef packer JBS, says it could turn out to be a positive. She says recent research studies show that removing meat from diets would have a negligible impact on greenhouse gas reduction.

“We know we have a great story to tell and we think we have additional science to back that up,” Stackhouse-Lawson says, “and potentially this additional light and attention that’s being driven toward climate change may give us a platform to elevate some of that.

“We also have some incredible advocates who we didn’t have before, and maybe these advocates have more credibility with consumers and stakeholders. They’re doing a really good job of talking about their research and what they’ve found—that beef has a good story.”

Beef production has recently come under fire from several directions including the EAT-Lancet report, the Green New Deal and just this week, the New York City schools’ Meatless Monday declaration.

Stackhouse-Lawson, who also chairs the U.S. Roundtable on Sustainable Beef, spoke this week at the National Farmers meeting in Des Moines.

AUDIO: Kim Stackhouse-Lawson

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