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Lower beef consumption in the U.S. is a good thing, but…
Recent research shows that younger people in the U.S. are avoiding substantial quantities of the cooked carcasses of kine in their diets.
As it turns out, beef producers aren’t the only ones getting older. A recent study from Tulane University in New Orleans found that 12 percent of Americans account for 50 percent of beef consumption in the U.S. Most of this consumption is done by middle-aged males, while beef consumption is lower among younger consumers and college graduates. The study is sparking concerns — and hopes — that America’s population could be aging out of beef.
It’s certainly true that cultural attitudes towards beef have been shifting. Cattle production has come under fire for everything from farmland destruction to rising greenhouse gas emissions, poor health outcomes and more. On top of that, the market for plant-based meat products continues to grow, offering consumers new alternatives to beef.
(Ambrook Research)
But, from the same article:
Mark Rifkin, senior food and ag policy specialist at the Center for Biological Diversity, which helped fund the Tulane study, said that, perceptions aside, beef intake is still forecast to grow globally.
Which means that declining U.S. consumption of beef, though it should eventually prove good for both the environment and public health here, won’t do much for mitigating global climate change. It’s better to focus on change elsewhere, such as ending the toxic boondoggle that is ethanol fuel.
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