Rock Island Today

WKEI AM 1450 recently issued the following announcement.

Recent anti-meat campaigns attempted to sell the sizzle of vegetarian or vegan diets in the U.S. and elsewhere around the world.

But it turns out, many consumers still want steak and other products from animal agriculture, at least based on buying habits and production trends.

USDA, prior to the government shutdown in December, estimated U.S. per capita red meat and poultry consumption was on pace to reach 222.2 pounds in 2018.

If realized, meat consumption last year topped the previous record dating back to 2004.

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And farmers responded to the demand. USDA estimates domestic red meat and poultry production last year topped the 100-billion-pound mark for the first time in history.

“If anything, data suggests demand for meat has been steady or rising over the past decade,” Jayson Lusk, head of the Purdue University Ag Economics Department, noted in a recent blog.

Lusk, who published more than 220 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals on everything from animal welfare to genetically enhanced food, and authored two trade books, reported about one-third (32 percent) of food spending in American households goes toward meat, dairy and eggs, totaling about $181 billion.

Elsewhere, a growing middle class in other countries continues to drive demand for meat and dairy products. U.S. beef exports January through October 2018 totaled 1.13 million metric tons (up 9 percent) valued at $6.92 billion (up 17 percent).

“Demand for beef continues to outperform expectations,” said Travis Meteer, University of Illinois Extension beef educator. “That’s a real bright spot for the cattle business.”

Meanwhile, the amount of people who identify as vegan or vegetarian edged up slightly from 2013 to 2018, from 4 percent to 6 percent of the population.

“I think their voices are getting louder,” Tasha Bunting, Illinois Farm Bureau assistant director of commodities and livestock programs, said of anti-meat proponents. “But even though they’re trying to recruit new vegans or vegetarians, we’re not seeing that reflected in the numbers.”

One of the latest anti-meat reports, published by the EAT-Lancet Commission, suggests people reduce consumption of red meat globally by 50 percent within the next 30 years.

The People for Ethical Treatment of Animals also launched a global anti-meat billboard campaign last fall to promote vegan and vegetarian lifestyles.

“Some research that contradicts the (EAT-Lancet) report shows it might meet caloric needs, but people still could be undernourished if they’re not receiving proper nutrients from the foods they choose,” Bunting said. “If people have questions on how to have a healthy diet, they should talk to a nutritionist who has the education and background to help them meet those needs.”

USDA dietary guidelines recommend people consume a variety of protein food – including lean meats, poultry, eggs, seafood, nuts and soy products – as part of a nutritious diet.

Meat plays a key role when it comes to brain health, muscle growth and the immune system. It also helps prevent human nutrient deficiencies.

What about dairy milk? It provides nine essential nutrients and is a top food source of calcium, vitamin D and potassium for those ages 2 years and older.

“As a farmer (IFB) member, have those conversations with consumers and let them know meat and dairy are nutritious and need to be included in a well-balanced diet,” Bunting said.

And as farmers continue to increase productivity and efficiencies, the environmental footprint of the industry shrinks, contradictory to the recent EAT-Lancet report.

“Greenhouse gas emissions from beef production has significantly fallen over time because of dramatic productivity gains,” Lusk noted. “The great benefit of ruminants is that they take feedstuff inedible to humans (such as grass, hay or cottonseed) and convert them into products we like to eat (such as cheese and steak).”

Animal ag currently accounts for about 4 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Original source can be found here.