Uploaded January 2023 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
The agricultural system is designed to provide for diets high in animal products. Nine in ten Americans consume meat regularly, and three in five agree that eating red meat is part of the American way of life. This attitude and practice run contrary to the science of nutrition, which shows that diets high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, without added animal products, sugar, and oils are the best for overall personal health.
This disconnect between our dietary lifestyle and the reality of nutrition compromises personal health and imperils the planet. As more people have become aware of the damaging environmental effects of producing livestock and animal products, many have made a concerted effort to brand free-range livestock products as more healthful and sustainable.
Is this an effort to greenwash the livestock industry, or should we be working to incorporate livestock into climate change mitigation strategies? What are the associated opportunity costs relative to other mitigation strategies?
Read more: nutritionstudies.org/free-range-livestock
The agricultural system is designed to provide for diets high in animal products. Nine in ten Americans consume meat regularly, and three in five agree that eating red meat is part of the American way of life. This attitude and practice run contrary to the science of nutrition, which shows that diets high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, without added animal products, sugar, and oils are the best for overall personal health.
This disconnect between our dietary lifestyle and the reality of nutrition compromises personal health and imperils the planet. As more people have become aware of the damaging environmental effects of producing livestock and animal products, many have made a concerted effort to brand free-range livestock products as more healthful and sustainable.
Is this an effort to greenwash the livestock industry, or should we be working to incorporate livestock into climate change mitigation strategies? What are the associated opportunity costs relative to other mitigation strategies?
Read more: nutritionstudies.org/free-range-livestock
