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ARS Home » Northeast Area » University Park, Pennsylvania » Pasture Systems & Watershed Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #297765
Title: Environmental, social, and economic footprints of current and past beef production systems

Author
item STACKHOUSE-LAWSON, K - National Cattlemen'S Beef Association (NCBA)
item REAGAN, J - National Cattlemen'S Beef Association (NCBA)
item ISENBERG, B - Pennsylvania State University
item Pollak, Emil
item BATTAGLIESE, T - Basf Corporation North America
item ULHMAN, B - Basf Corporation North America
item BARCAN, C - Basf Corporation North America
item SCHULZE, I - Basf Plant Science Llc
item SILVA, J - Basf Plant Science Llc
item Rotz, Clarence - Al

Submitted to: Symposium on Energy and Protein Metabolism and Nutrition
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/30/2013
Publication Date: 9/9/2013
Citation: Stackhouse-Lawson, K.R., Reagan, J.O., Isenberg, B.J., Pollak, E.J., Battagliese, T., Ulhman, B., Barcan, C., Schulze, I., Silva, J., Rotz, C.A. 2013. Environmental, social, and economic footprints of current and past beef production systems. Symposium on Energy and Protein Metabolism and Nutrition. Paper No 134.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The beef industry has defined sustainability as raising cattle in a way that is environmentally, economically and socially responsible. Accurately measuring sustainability is challenging, as the beef supply chain is one of the most complex food systems in the world. As the first and largest research project of this kind, this study represents an innovative approach toward creating a more sustainable beef product. Phase one of this project involves establishing a sustainability baseline by quantifying life cycle inputs and outputs for beef production over time at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (MARC). To determine the sustainability of beef production, a combination of models were used. The USDA-ARS Integrated Farm System Model (IFSM) was used to simulate environmental and economic footprints from cradle to farm-gate. The socio-eco-efficiency tool (SEEBALANCE) was then used to conduct an eco-efficiency analysis of the environmental, economic, and social footprints of beef through consumption providing a comprehensive assessment of sustainability. A 25-year simulation of MARC’s current production system gave a carbon footprint of 11 kg of CO2e per kg of live weight sold. The energy required to produce that beef (energy footprint) was 25.9 MJ/kg. The total water required (water footprint) was 21,300 L/kg of live weight sold, and the water footprint excluding that obtained through precipitation was 2,800 L/kg. The simulated total cost of producing their beef was about $2.20/kg of live weight sold, which agreed with MARC production records. Through an analysis using SEEBALANCE, the environmental, social and economic considerations of the beef supply chain were expressed per 0.45 kg unit of minimally processed boneless edible consumed beef. Overall, the sustainability of the U.S. beef industry, given the present assumptions, has improved by 7% in 6 yr.