The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) in a statement called the New York Times’ (NYT) opinion piece “Meet the People Getting Paid to Kill Our Planet” misleading.
NCBA said the facts regarding emissions and land use are not valid, and addressing all the incorrect claims would “be akin to writing a thesis.”
NCBA cited the Environmental Protection Agency’s numbers showing beef cattle are responsible for 3.7 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, including all production inputs. NCBA also noted that one-third of the land is unsuitable for growing food crops but allows for cattle “to contribute more than three times as much high-quality protein to the U.S. food supply than they consume.”
In the statement, NCBA said the U.S. is the global leader in sustainable beef production, and producers understand the importance of protecting natural resources and are continuously working to improve their practices in ways that benefit their land and their animals.
“Sharing opinion pieces that masquerade as journalism is irresponsible and damaging to the livelihoods of nearly a million farmers and ranchers across the country,” NCBA said. “We’re disappointed in the New York Times’ decision to publish this piece without properly vetting the information, and we’ll continue to defend against misinformation and propaganda that targets American agriculture without apology.”
