Promising Sustainable Beef

Catalyse continuous Improvements

Martin C. Th. Scholten

GRSB Principles

Natural Resources

People & Community

Animal Health & Welfare

Food

Efficiency & Innovation

GRSB 2016; breakouts

● What is the consumers commitment to sustainability?

Expecting Integrity (Trust)

● What is the business commitment to sustainability?

Building Chain of Custody (Transparency)

● How to assess the sustainability?

Non-linear, kaleidoscopic Assessments (Fair & Full)

GRSB 2016; breakouts

● How to practice sustainability?

Convincing Progress (Footprints, Deforestation)

● What is the NGO commitment to sustainable practices?

Critically supportive for Actions more than Words

Consumers Expecting Integrity

But do not buy that!

Beef is Premium ...

Margin is in Adjectives

Xxx-Free is Hype

Deforestation is a No-Go

Health is a DebateKey Note Dr. David Hughes

Business strives for a Chain of Custody

Field

Farm

Abattoir

Processing

Retail

Consumer

Best Practice requires Best Science

Fair Assessment

Full Assessment

Action Driven Assessment

• Resource & Land Use

• Animal Health & Welfare

• Local Specifications

Most LCA’s are too simplistic & not provocative

Linear summing up LCA’s single products

From linear considered commodity/supply chains

Addressing single topics of concern

Do not account a Globally integrated AgroFood-system

Ignores variation in Feed for Food Footprint

Do not envisage feed strategies & grazing regimes

Do not envisage optimal land use

Depends on scope and scale

http://www.google.nl/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRxqFQoTCLzwiqzDh8YCFcFx2wodkZoAcw&url=http://shrinkthatfootprint.com/food-carbon-footprint-diet&ei=fm95Vby5GcHj7QaRtYKYBw&bvm=bv.95277229,d.bGg&psig=AFQjCNE313YA6_qieuHQ6sj1PaIJWmaflw&ust=1434108155614610

The Wageningen Animal Sustainability Team

Maximum Production of Human Edible Proteins per Hectare of Land without Depletion of Productivity and Biodiversity

Imke de Boer

Marion de Vries

Corina van Middelaar

Hannah van Zanten Eddie Bokkers

Variation in Land Use among Systems

m2/kg edible protein

0

50

100

150

200

250

Chicken Pork Beef Milk Egg

De Vries and De Boer 2010

First Analysis of Systems (1)

Calf from beef herd Calf from dairy herd

http://www.google.nl/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=beef+calf&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=zf8SI3SEimIgOM&tbnid=WAA4m2PFOCo6dM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://oklahomafarmreport.com/wire/news/2013/05/06319_BeefBuzz05242013_164003.php&ei=gB4CUvOGC4edO4-4gaAL&bvm=bv.50310824,d.ZWU&psig=AFQjCNGf62G30AfqPhY2h2_PeIqoxCueJA&ust=1375956938777669http://www.google.nl/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=dairy calf&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=3QxyXcuOX1w6gM&tbnid=bVJ17ViQefk41M:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.calfandheifer.org/news/100836/&ei=Qh8CUuL_H4epOuHYgIgE&bvm=bv.50310824,d.ZWU&psig=AFQjCNF1H0ZMnVVA_RUlDkObeDJnj0EHtA&ust=1375957139622872

Calf from Dairy vs Beef

First Analysis of Systems (2)

Pasture-finished Concentrate-finished

http://www.google.nl/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=grass based beef production in australia&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=vJTDK08qLuIfdM&tbnid=nXiCYpM8U2beQM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.ifa.ie/Sectors/Cattle.aspx&ei=4QcSUvOeHoyr0AXY1IGQBA&bvm=bv.50768961,d.d2k&psig=AFQjCNFfQALMC5Ayf7G3p_Pgv86JwQwhsQ&ust=1376999735604415

Concentrate Finished versus Pasture Finished

Competition between Humans and Animals

Accounting for competition between humans

and animals for land might be in favour of

pasture-finished beef

Direct Competition

30%

40%

World grain production

World arable land

Indirect Competition

Agricultural land

yes

Marginal land

no

X

Feed-Food Competition

Research Question

How much animal source food can we eat while avoiding feed-food competition?

Land u

se,

etc

.

% Consumption ASF

Hockeystick Figure

Threshold point

Land u

se e

tc.

% Consumption ASF

Sustainable Intensification

Pro

duction

Land u

se e

tc.

% Consumption ASF

Sustainable Diet

Consumption

Efficiency of the Food System

Land u

se,

etc

.

% Consumption ASF

7-27 g

For the Situation in the Netherlands

The Food Production Cycle in a Biobased Society

Room for Improvement: Feed Digestibility

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Feed Digestibility

(%)

Number of Cows

(Miljons)

Gerber et al., 2013

Digestibility & Protein Content Feed Stocks

Feedstock Digestible Energy (%)

Proteins(g N / kg)

Rye Grass 75 30

Concentrates 60-70 20-50

Maiz Silages 75 15

Other grasses 50 -60 15

Crop residuals 40-60 5-15

http://www.google.nl/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=vjT6kf4ViMkzeM&tbnid=pRe8jTQGLvMCbM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.clker.com/clipart-25717.html&ei=2pN7UtDME4eR0AXOnYGICA&bvm=bv.56146854,d.d2k&psig=AFQjCNGRlwELO_IQCZUHWP0Q4Y9P1zn1cw&ust=1383916826671887

Upgrading Low-DE Feed Stocks by Mushrooms

-10%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Reduction Cel

Reduction Lignin

Wheat Straw

Rice Straw

Maize Stover

Bagasse

Oil Palm Fronds

Wood Chips

http://www.google.nl/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=lentinula+edodes&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=95cvgDL0ptpNOM&tbnid=EKgVVa9Z74JEJM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.mycelia.be/&ei=wdSQUceFM4ql0QWLu4G4BA&bvm=bv.46340616,d.d2k&psig=AFQjCNENPBTdiAF8DmLjnhMU35GKEwhONA&ust=1368532526158998

Biologicals & Fine Chemicals

Organic Matter & Biota

Minerals & Energy

Room for Improvement: Manure = Product

Waste Management

Soil Quality

http://www.google.nl/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=http://research.ncl.ac.uk/epithelia/ERG research.html&ei=3xDIVPr_GMqsPYTNgOgE&bvm=bv.84607526,d.ZWU&psig=AFQjCNE5XM1l_IejQhZXt-PpXV4P62Zd0g&ust=1422484040071285

Room for Improvement: Freeze the Footprint

• Genotyping low methane production for selection

• Improving feed quality and digestibility, rumen microbes

• Improving animal health and husbandry conditions

• Manure management: collection, storage and utilisation

• Improving C sequestration soils• Precision Livestock Farming

Soil Organic Matter Matters!

Challenge: SDG Role of Beef Cattle

Think Global, Act Local, Around the Globe

Enrolling Performance

Catalyse continuous Improvements

Anticipate on Trends, means Awareness of Regime Shifts

Set SDG based transition Goals and challenging Claims

Think in Systems, Circularities and Innovations

Redefine the concept of Efficiency

Build Capabilities in developing Countries

Observations based Recommendations

Trust the Farmer?

Support the

Farmers

to

Foster the

Animals

& Soils