November 17, 2010 01:54 PM UTC by John Stossel

This Week’s Column: Natural Is Not Always Better

“Natural” food sounds so pure. Tampering with nature feels wrong.  So it’s easy to believe that things like chemical pesticides and genetically modified food are unhealthy.  It’s intuitive to believe that they harm the planet. But as so often happens, what we know just isn’t so. My Fox Business program this week (Thursday at 9pm ET) takes on some of those cherished environmental beliefs.

In my syndicated column this week, I examine one:  “Natural” food promoters claim grass-fed beef is better for the environment that corn-fed cattle:

Michael Pollan, the prolific food author and activist, wrote in The New York Times that “what was once a solar-powered ruminant (grass-fed steer) (has been turned) into the very last thing we need: another fossil-fuel machine”. How so? Farmers burn fossil fuels to ship corn to feed cows instead of letting them eat what’s naturally under their feet.

The American Grassfed Association — surprise, surprise — says cattle are better for the environment because harmony is created between the land and the animals.

People believe. Nobody likes the idea of cattle jammed into feed lots.

…But so often, what sounds logical is just wrong.

…Once again, modern technology saves money and is better for the earth. By stuffing the feed-lot animals with corn, farmers get them to grow faster. Therefore they can slaughter them sooner, which is better for the earth than letting them live longer and do all the environmentally damaging things natural cows do while they are alive.
Read more: http://stossel.blogs.foxbusiness.com/2010/11/17/this-weeks-column-natural-is-not-always-better/#ixzz161Oad4wL

 Response to John Stossel’s piece – Busting Another Food Myth, Natural is No Always Better

 I currently serve as President of the American Grassfed Association (AGA) and represent around 400 grassfed producers.  Our membership is primarily comprised of small-scale family farms that put care and pride into the protein they produce.  Our foundation is that we produce food for the table with respect for the animals, the land, the quality and healthfulness of the food and the farm. 

 Grassfed versus grain-fed beef is a topic that seems to provoke controversy. Determining which of these methods of production is “best” is a complicated matter bringing in animal welfare, human health and environmental outcomes. It is unfortunate that Mr. Stossel appears to have taken a rather blinkered and biased approach to this very complex subject.

In making the statement about grassfed meat that “there’s no evidence it’s better for the environment or better for you” Mr. Stossel relies heavily on the evidence of Dr. Jude Capper. Dr. Capper has presented a few brief papers and posters at recent Animal Science conferences but her main published work is on dairy cattle. Aside from the fact that dairy production is a very different thing to beef or lamb production Dr. Capper does not mention that she has close associations with organizations that have a vested interest in promoting the most intensive systems of production. At AGA we are of course in favor of sustainable, pasture base systems but at least we come right out and say so!  Why did Stossel not ask Capper who funded her research?  Don’t forget the idea of follow the money.  It just might prove bias in the outcome.

 We are very familiar with Dr. Capper’s work. Her dairy paper was the subject of significant conversation “Bad Science” blogs [see http://www.animalwelfareapproved.org/2009/11/16/beware-of-bad-science/]

 Capper claims that a ‘whole-system approach’ proves that intensive livestock systems – where meat or milk production is maximized per animal, per acre – are less environmentally damaging than ‘inefficient’ pasture or grass-based systems.  Yet it is Dr Capper who is not looking at the ‘whole system’ – or indeed the ‘bigger picture’ we all face. For the vast majority of scientists who are working in climate related issues contend that it is intensive agriculture – with its heavy reliance on fossil fuels and other damaging environmental practices – which is the real climate culprit. And in the face of the reality of climate change and ever-decreasing oil reserves, ‘business as usual’ agriculture is just no longer an option.

 AGA was not the only organization to challenge this report from Dr. Capper and indeed other similar reports from other authors. One of the biggest problems is the fact that any report that states grassfed meat is less environmentally friendly than grain fed meat does not take into account the environmental costs of all the inputs needed for the industrial system. The true cost of feedlot beef has to take account of the full environmental footprint caused by producing cattle feed – raising vast monocultures of corn which is the most heavily laden fossil fuel crop in the country, including the destruction of vast tracts of rainforest in order to grow soy and corn and the dead zone in the gulf caused by runoff of artificial fertilizers into the Mississippi River.   This is before we start adding in the environmental pollution from feedlots, the greenhouse gas emissions from the stockpiled manure and no mentions of the positive influence of carbon sequestration that is specific to grazing grassfed animals.

 AGA are disappointed that Dr. Capper maintains that there is no evidence of the health benefits of grassfed versus grain-fed beef. On the contrary there are many published papers on the health giving benefits of omega 3 fatty acids, conjugated lineoleic acids (CLAs) and vitamin E – all found at higher levels in grassfed rather than grain fed meat. Dr. Capper states that the differences in the levels of these compounds between grass and grain fed are “minor”. Perhaps she hasn’t read a recently published report (partly carried out by the USDA) that states CLA levels were 117% higher in animals that were simply pasture finished – not on pasture all their lives – compared with those finished on concentrates. Or another study that showed grassfed meat was several times higher in vitamin E than either grain-fed animals or – surprisingly – grain-fed animals that were given high doses of synthetic vitamin E.

 The representation by Stossel and Capper that other inputs to the industrial system such as synthetic hormones and sub-therapeutic antibiotics are of no importance is a travesty.  They contend that since it has not been proven that these inputs cause direct harm in the beef produced then it is not logical to demand products that do not have them involved in their production.  This ignores the research that indicates otherwise.  But more importantly it ignores the desires of society who may choose not have them as a part of their diet.  A growing number feel strongly that while sub-therapeutic antibiotics and synthetic hormones contribute significantly to the accelerated growth of feedlot animals but ignore the issues of antibiotic resistance and pre-mature puberty.  It is the height of elite mind sets that does not allow a consumer to choose what they want in their diet without being presented all the facts and instead presents a one sided approach to a complicated issue.  It must be remembered that the consumer has the freedom to vote for what agricultural system (pasture based or industrial) by how they spend their dollars.

 Mr. Stossel sadly relied on only one source for his information.  He didn’t take the time to listen to both sides of the argument and, like a poorly researched paper, published his article without review or evidence. This lack of rigor academically and journalistically appears to be the only way industrial agriculture can defend itself.

 Mr. Stossel I challenge you to follow up and present both sides instead of the biased report you presented on the show.

Sincerely,

Patricia Whisnant, DVM

President

American Grassfed Association

Grass fed producer

The goal of the event was to provide a learning opportunity and with that opportunity to connect restaurants and food professionals directly with producers and distributors in the creation of a more efficient and affordable supply chain for sustainable meat in Chicago. State of the Plate laid a foundation for building a bridge from the farm to the table that not only educates but creates real solutions to the sustainable supply issues.

Goals accomplished included the discovery of the differences between the industrial farm and sustainably raised systems for producing meat and their impact on public health and the environment.  Presented were ranchers and distributors that supply Chicago with verified sustainable meat products of which Rain Crow Ranch/American Grassfed Beef is one.

In addition, the event allowed attendees to taste and compare industrial and sustainably farmed meat from the participating ranches and companies that sell in Chicago.  Armed with 50 8oz patties of our grassfed beef the burgers were prepared by the Robert Morris Culinary School students and chefs.  These folks kept a steady supply of fresh warm grassfed burgers coming out of the kitchen to be sampled.

Keynote speakers included Robert Kenner, writer, producer, and director of Food, Inc.  Food, Inc is one of the top 25 grossing theatrical documentaries of all time, selling nearly 500,000 DVDs.  The movie received widespread critical acclaim, dozens of awards and nominations and has influenced current food policy decisions.  One of my personal highlights of the event was having dinner with Robert along with Troy Roush and Carol Morrison, farmer heroes who took the risk and talked to the cameras in Food, Inc.  http://robertkennerfilms.com/films/files/detail_current.php

The other keynote speaker was Fedele Bauccio, founder of Bon Appétit Management Co.  One of the first food service industry professionals who made the effort to source fresh, made-from-scratch, local and sustainable foods to the contract market.  http://www.bamco.com/page/59/fedele-bauccio.htm.

We offer many thanks to the planners and sponsors who allowed us an opportunity to speak on a panel that educated and answered questions about that which we have a passion – our grassfed beef.

The event was put together by The Chicago Restaurant Co-op and associated steering committee. It was the brain-child of Dan Rosenthal, President of The Rosenthal Group, cofounder and chairman of The Green Chicago Restaurant Co-op.  Other members of the steering committee included Christopher Koetke, Vice President of Culinary Arts at Kendal College; David Rand, Director Farmers Market Coalition and Farm Forager, Green City Market; Chef Bruce Sherman, President Chefs Collaborative, Chef of North Pond Restaurant; Jim Slama, Founder and President, Family Farmed.org and Kerri McClimen, Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming.  This group did a wonderful job of pulling the event together to make it top notch.

Sponsors included The Green Chicago Restaurant Co-op, Family Farmed.org, Animal Welfare Approved, Bon Appétit Mgmt. Co., Kendall College, Chicago Dept. of Environment, Robert Morris University, Kimpton Hotel and Restaurants, edible Chicago, and others.

Read more and look at conference pictures at http://stateoftheplate2010.com .

It was my great pleasure to participate in the Chefs Collaborative National Summit 2010 held in Boston October 3-5.  I spoke on a panel about rare breeds and pastured animals.

 True to the theme of the event we looked at the past and how before industrial-scale factory farming with livestock raised in CAFOs became the norm most of our country’s meat supply came from many breeds of pasture-raised livestock.  These breeds raised on pasture land were suited to regional cultures and cuisines.

  With the advent of surplus corn production after WWII the livestock industry began to consolidate into factory production.  Today, however, heightened awareness of the ecological and public health risks associated with industrial animal production has put the pasture-based system into the spotlight.  Pasture based agriculture is not new but it is rather looking back to our roots to discover a more sustainable future. 

Our purpose was to explore how chefs and producers can work together to supply a quality and dependable source of pasture protein for restaurants.  The first step is finding and forming relationships between the chef and the farmer to make that happen.  Then both need to pull their heads together to work out the specific logistics in a way that is fair, dependable and sustainable.

  It takes effort and some outside-the-box thinking at times but the rewards are great.  Dealing with and understanding chefs can be a learning curve for the farm but at the same time understanding how that animal is produced is a learning effort for the chef.  For a chef used to the boxed beef world it is easy to order the number of premium steaks needed.  For a farmer faced with selling the whole carcass (when only a small percentage is steak) the challenge is to sell the large percentage that is ground beef.   

The couple of days I spent in the community of chefs dazzled my palate with the wonderful flavors of great food, opened my mind to the thoughts and challenges in the restaurant, and renewed my passion that what we do on our farm is not to just produce livestock but that we produce food.  Food that deserves care and pride in its production as well as respect and reverence in what it does to nourish our body, soul and culture.

Chefs Collaborative is the leading nonprofit network of chefs that fosters a sustainable food system through advocacy, education, and collaboration with the broader food community.  They advocate for sustainable food in the greater culinary community.  They provide chefs with the information and tools necessary to make sustainable purchasing decisions – through workshops, publications, and events. And they connect chefs and sustainable food producers.

Several times in the course of events the board of the Chefs Collaborative read aloud their statement of principles which created in me a renewed passion for the food system which our farm is a part. These principles are:

1. Food is fundamental to life, nourishing us in body and soul.  The preparation of food strengthens our connection to nature.  And the sharing of food immeasurably enriches our sense of community.

2. Good food begins with unpolluted air, land, and water, environmentally sustainable farming and fishing, and humane animal husbandry.

3. Food choices that emphasize delicious, locally grown, seasonally fresh, and whole or minimally processed ingredients are good for us, for local farming communities, and for the planet.

4. Cultural and biological diversity are essential for the health of the earth and its inhabitants.  Preserving and revitalizing sustainable food, fishing, and agricultural traditions strengthen that diversity.

5. By continually educating themselves about sustainable choices, chefs can serve as models to the culinary community and the general public through their purchases of seasonal, sustainable ingredients and their transformation of these ingredients into delicious food.

6.  The greater culinary community can be a catalyst for positive change by creating a market for good food and helping preserve local farming and fishing communities.

The Chefs Collaborative has a vision that as a result of their work, sustainable practices will be second nature for every chef in the United States.  As a farmer who supplies the building blocks of what they do I am very proud and happy to be a part of this group.

 

Ethical Food is at the foundation of grass roots food politics.  Indeed people have begun to vote for what exists in the world by how they spend their dollar.  This food movement is not an outcome of policy set by the government or even health and wellness groups, rather it is a movement generated from the consumer level.  

The new consumer wants to know where their food comes from and how it is raised.  A recently published research report by Context Marketing, http://contextmarketing.com/sources/feb28-2010/ethicalfoodreport.pdf, has tracked the ethical claims that matter most to people today and how these attributes influence their food purchases. 

Ethical food is defined by the attributes and perceived benefits that can be linked to how a food is raised and processed, its effect on the environment, its quality and safety.  These attributes can be highly personal. 

When those in the survey were asked to identify what they mean by “ethical food” over 90% said that they believe it is a food that protects the environment by using sustainable production methods, meets high quality and safety standards and has high regard for animal welfare.

In this survey 70% of the respondents went so far as to say they are willing to pay more for food they consider to be produced with higher ethical standards.  However, trust is given conditionally to ethical claims and in the report three out of four consumers said they have some skepticism when viewing ethical claims because they do not always mean what they imply.

At Rain Crow we are an American family farm and raise our cattle on certified organic pastures, never in confinement.  We never administer antibiotics, we never use synthetic hormones.  We allow the animal to fulfill its natural biological instincts (grazing) and we have high regard for animal welfare from birth to harvest. 

 These are all ethical claims that you can find on our retail label.  Yet, we back up these claims by 3^rd party verification audits.  Our organic pastures are inspected yearly by One Cert.  Our grassfed claims are inspected yearly by the American Grassfed Association and our animal welfare standards are inspected yearly by Animal Welfare Approved.  We strongly feel that these certifications help to assure our customers that we are who we say we are and that they can have confidence in what they receive from our families farm.

Today America is witnessing a food revolution where customers want to know how their food is grown and who grows it. Knowledgeable customers ask questions, read labels, do their investigative homework and decide ethically what food they want to eat.

This new consumer is met by a new generation of caring farmers. This new generation of sustainable farmers can be referred to as grandpa’s gutsy grandkids. These pioneers are willing to take risks and tread where the industrial factory farms feared to go.

These sustainable farmers are selling direct and flaunting the attributes of their products that can’t be replicated by the industrial factory farm system. They seek and find a market where customers appreciate the cattle raised with pride on American family farms. They are finding a niche where their farms, their families and their communities can thrive.

Many kids are returning to their family farms after graduation and taking on the new challenge by seriously studying the market and their farm’s place in it.

All of our children play an important role in the success of our family grass fed beef business. Our son, Peter, manages our processing plant and keeps a close eye on the production end of raising our cattle.

Jack, our oldest son, helps with marketing our beef. Katie Grace, our daughter, travels with us to food demonstrations and seminars. Logan, Cody and Trenton help with raising our cattle.

The future looks bright as this new generation of Whisnant’s are able to incorporate fresh energy and ideas to reach new customers with our sustainable products.

The well attended Earth Day event usually draws 25,000 or more to come out and celebrate, educate and network with others about sustainable living.

The weather on this spring day was not what you would call typical for southeast Missouri.The storms that had rumbled all night persisted into the morning with angry clouds and rain. The weather couldn’t decide if it wanted to just sprinkle or pour with a frigid breeze chilling us to the bone.

I said, “Nobody in their right mind will come out in this unless they have to.” I thought the event would be lucky to draw a couple of hundred. I promised our group from the farm that if it didn’t improve we would hang it up and go home.

Phyllis the ranch secretary, Carrie our college intern and my daughter Katie Grace were sharing the day with me. After setting up, we made a quick run to the store to get rain jackets.

To our surprise, thousands of folks braved the nasty weather to come out. Earth Day is a celebration of Earth in all its beauty and sustainability . . . rain or shine. The dreary weather did nothing to daunt the spirits of those who had decided to come to the park.

The high enthusiasm spoke to me of the level of commitment towards sustainable living these folks shared with us. As people came by our booth, we gave them samples of our beef.  I was impressed with the level of knowledge they had about the grass fed message.

We enjoyed meeting the many supportive folks.  It was not hard to convince this knowledgeable group that grass fed is a better for the animals, the health of the beef and the health of the land. Grass fed grazing is a part of sustainable living.

Many responded that grass fed was the only type of beef they ate. It was rewarding to discover that a good many were eating our American Grass Fed Beef raised on Rain Crow Ranch, our family farm already.  Several purchased our beef locally in Whole Foods Market and at Schnucks Markets.

The weather showed us there are so many people truly committed to sustainable living. We cannot wait to see everyone again on Earth Day in 2011.

In 1990,the US government defined sustainable agriculture as an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will, over the long term, satisfy human food and fiber needs; enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends; make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls; sustain the economic viability of farm operations; and enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.

Phew, that is quite a definition! So what does all that mean? Well, sustainable agriculture is more a philosophy of the best way to operate a farm rather than a concrete set of rules.

It is a way of running a farm that takes into consideration the long-term impact of farming on the environment. Farmers that adhere to this philosophy try to raise their animals in a natural environment and to raise a variety of fruits and vegetables rather than one crop.

It can perhaps best be explained by the fact that these farmers live where they work and that they hold a true love and passion for where they live and what they do. How unlike a large corporation whose CEO only inspects the farming venture on paper and in terms of accounting numbers. The family farmer puts forth his sweat and first hand cares for his environment because it is also his home.

Why should you support sustainable agriculture?
We all want food that tastes better and food produced through sustainable agriculture tastes better. It also tastes closer to the way food tasted before the advent of mass production in farming. The longer it takes for food to go from the farm to your table the less flavorful that food is. More additives may make the food last longer but they do not make the food taste better.

Sustainable farm products are healthier. Grass-fed beef has more omega-3’s than factory farmed, grain-fed meat. Omega-3 fatty acids benefit the hearts of healthy people, and those at a high risk of having a heart attack, or those who currently have cardiovascular disease.

Animals raised in a sustainable environment are allowed to eat food that is natural to them in a natural environment. Factory-farmed animals may never see a day of sun. On industrial farms animals are treated as a commodity rather than living beings.

Sustainable farms help the ecosystem. Agriculture has a tremendous impact on the environment. Animals produce large quantities of waste that require disposal. With larger scale production there is more waste that can contaminate both surface and ground water. Sustainable agriculture puts back what it takes out and minimizes harm to the ecosystem.
In sustainable agriculture the waste from animals is used to fertilize crops. Rotating animals from field to field also helps replace nutrients in the soil. Farmers who use sustainable management practices look for ways to work with the environment and encourage its production rather than to use heavy metal input to recreate a man’s world.

Another tenet of sustainable agriculture is that farm workers are treated humanely and are paid a fair wage. This is true for both seasonal hires and permanent workers.