Beef cattle take the carbon stored in pasture forages
and convert that into high-quality protein and return
those nutrients back to the pasture system.
Justin Miller, Alabama Cooperative Extension System |
May 20, 2022
Did you know that the cow you see grazing in a pasture
is a true environmentalist? In fact, beef cattle play
an important role in many environmental aspects. While
all you may see is a cow eating grass, that animal is
actually participating in an important part of the
carbon cycle.
Role in carbon
Kim Mullenix, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System
beef systems specialist, said beef cattle are the
ultimate upcyclers.
“Beef cattle can take the carbon stored within pasture
forages and convert that into high-quality protein,”
Mullenix said. “They also return those nutrients back
to the pasture system, which improves soil health.”
The carbon that beef cattle consume is found within the
cellulose of grass and plants. This cellulose is what
cattle upcycle to use for things like overall growth
and milk production.
Misconceptions about methane
Consuming cellulose produces methane, which the cattle
then expel into the atmosphere. However, there are a
few common misconceptions about this part of the
process.
“Yes, cattle emit methane but not in the way we are
most often led to believe,” Mullenix said. “When the
forage is digested in the rumen, methane is produced
and expelled by the animal, mainly through belching and
not through the other end.”
You read that right. Cattle burps are a real thing, and
they are just a part of the natural process. The
methane cattle expel will eventually break back down
into carbon dioxide (CO2). Plants use this CO2 , and
the cycle starts over again.
“At the end of the day, cattle are not adding new
carbon to the atmosphere but rather utilizing and
repurposing what is there for their own growth and
benefit to consumers like you and me,” Mullenix said.
World with less cattle
In some contexts, cattle are like the vacuums of the
world. In the production process of many other
industries, they secondarily produce by-products that
humans cannot use. Some examples include feed by-
products produced from agricultural row crop
production, such as cotton, soybeans, corn and peanuts.
However, cattle can consume these by-products, acting
as the Earth’s four-legged vacuum.
In a world with less cattle, Mullenix said these
industries would have to find alternatives to displace
these by-products.
“Without beef cattle, many feed by-products would have
no value for other commodities,” Mullenix said. “These
by-products would have to simply be land applied or
composted, creating another source of greenhouse gas
emissions.”
Also, reducing the number of beef cattle nationwide
would have negative impacts on industries that support
the agricultural industry. This in turn would have
environmental implications associated with not using
those resources.
Alabama Extension is getting Down to Earth. Why?
Because agriculture sustains Alabama. Whether your ag
experience is in the grocery store, in the classroom or
as your profession—Extension has a resource for you.
We are proud to be partnering with the Alabama
Agribusiness Council, the Alabama Cattlemen’s
Association, the Alabama Department of Agriculture and
Industries, the Alabama Farmers Federation, the Alabama
Poultry and Egg Association, the Alabama Forestry
Commission, Sweet Grown Alabama and the Alabama
Association of RC&D Councils.
Source: Alabama Cooperative Extension System, which is
solely responsible for the information provided and is
wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and
all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the
content contained in this information asset.
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