The NZA Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 NYT The last decade or so has brought ample evidence that Americans are gradually changing their diets, driven by health concerns and other factors. But a new study points to one change that is starker than many have thought: Americans cut their beef consumption by 19 percent — nearly one-fifth — in the years from 2005 to 2014, according to research released on Wednesday by the Natural Resources Defense Council. The environmental group found that consumption of chicken and pork fell as well, though less drastically, as Americans ate more cheese, butter and leafy greens. The research, which is based on data from the Agriculture Department and calculations using the same methodology as the Environmental Protection Agency, found that changes in the overall American diet reduced emissions by the equivalent of pollution from 57 million cars — despite population growth of about 9 percent “Whether we realize it or not, Americans have been fighting greenhouse gas emissions with their forks,” said Sujatha Bergen, a policy specialist in the Natural Resources Defense Council’s food and agriculture program. i'm guessing rising cost of beef + health benefits becoming more widely known? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iambaytor Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 (edited) What you have to realize about the beef market in that period of time is that we had a barrage of wild fires, floods, and droughts. Cattle in states that had these issues were dropping like flies, which made it very lucrative for people like me who owned cattle in an area not currently experiencing the apocalypse. The result was a massive bubble in the cattle market that only popped about midway through last year. What we also had for a good portion of that time was a massive recession where higher priced meats such as beef were basically luxury foods. Now that it's a buyer's market again the cost of beef will decrease and people will begin consuming more. Edited March 23, 2017 by Iambaytor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NZA Posted March 23, 2017 Author Share Posted March 23, 2017 ahh, okay - well, that explains this, then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iambaytor Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Yeah the last 6 years or so I had some pretty kickass payouts for slaughter cattle, I just didn't buy any new heifers to replenish my herd because they were not cheap so I culled off some old animals and replaced them with their own spawn. Now I can maybe afford to buy a couple more for when the market goes back up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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