Beef industry treading more lightly

OVER 30 years, Australian beef production has substantially improved parts of its environmental footprint, a new study has reported.

The headline figures of the study, the first to do a thorough life cycle analysis (LCA) on several aspects of beefs environmental impact, show that the drive for production efficiency and social pressures have diminished beefs impact on the environment in several important areas - water, land use and greenhouse gas emissions.

Funded by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), the study was compiled by a team of authors led by Steve Wiedemann of FSA Consulting, Toowoomba, and published in the latest issue of the journal Agricultural Systems.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensity (emissions produced per kilo of beef) fell by 14 per cent over 30 years, the study found, not counting the additional 42pc fall in GHG emissions brought about by land clearing bans, mainly in Queensland.

That fall came about despite a twofold increase in fossil fuel use for beef production, driven by the increased number of cattle in feedlots.

Part of the nature of this study is that it traces impacts right back to extraction from the ground, Mr Weidemann said.

We follow that grain supply right back to the fertiliser used for that grain.

Irrespective of the twofold increase in fossil fuel use, the improvements driven by productivity is far greater.

More efficient production drove the improvements.

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Beef industry treading more lightly