Agricultural News
The Science of Sustainability - World Wildlife Fund's Jason Clay Speaks on Responsible Production
Mon, 18 Sep 2017 11:15:51 CDT
As part of Kansas State University's Henry C. Gardiner Global Food Systems lecture series, the World Wildlife Fund's Jason Clay, senior vice-president for markets and food, spoke recently on food production sustainability. During a Q&A session after his presentation, Clay was asked about grass fed cattle versus feedlots. He answered with what the current science is telling us.
"We're actually interested in what are the most efficient ways to produce food - that means looking at what the science is on this," he said. "To date, the data suggests that grass fed beef has high greenhouse gas emissions and that long term, confined animal feeding has other types of greenhouse gas emissions and that somewhere in between is probably the best option."
Clay admits, the issue is very complicated and that "reasonable people will disagree." Again, he insisted that science should be the guide to our thinking. But, on the sidelines after his presentation talking with reporters, Clay accused agricultural sprawl as the biggest threat to biodiversity and his organization's efforts to protect nature. He asserted that the availability of modern agricultural technology is integral to achieving a balance between sustainability and feeding a growing world population.
"So, extensive use of landscapes to produce food rather than intensive production of crops and livestock systems-," Clay said. "We've got to figure out how to do that sustainably if we're going to have nature left for our children and our grandchildren."
Listen to Jason Clay of the World Wildlife Fund further explain his position on feeding cattle and its effects on the environment, with Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays, on today's Beef Buzz.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
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