Marianne Landzettel, author of Sustainable Meat Production and Processing: Local, Profitable and Humane.
May 10, 2024
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Author Marianne Landzettel discusses sustainable meat production, highlighting regenerative farming benefits and climate impact. Contrasts in agriculture between EU and US are explored, emphasizing soil health importance. Nutritional differences in grass-fed vs. grain-fed beef are examined, along with humane slaughter practices in meat production.
Regenerative agriculture with responsibly grazed cattle helps mitigate climate change and protect soil health.
Prioritizing humane slaughter practices ensures stress-free and respectful treatment of animals in meat production.
Deep dives
Agricultural Contrasts Between US and EU
The podcast delves into the stark differences between agricultural practices in the United States and the European Union. In the US, there is a prevalence of large-scale production focusing on soy and corn with genetically modified seeds, while the EU is more restrictive on genetically modified imports. Additionally, the structural contrast between vast homogenous US farms and diverse European countryside poses a unique challenge for comparison.
Importance of Soil in Sustainable Meat Production
The episode emphasizes the significance of soil in sustainable meat production by highlighting the critical role of underground microbes in soil health. Sustainable farming models, such as regenerative agriculture, prioritize nurturing soil life as a foundation for healthy livestock. By focusing on soil fertility and promoting diverse soil microbiomes, these practices contribute to environmental sustainability in meat production.
Embracing Humane Slaughter Practices
The discussion shifts to the importance of humane slaughter practices in the meat industry. The episode stresses the ethical responsibility towards animals in the food system, advocating for on-farm or small-scale abattoirs to ensure stress-free and respectful slaughter processes. By acknowledging the life of animals and approaching slaughter with dignity and humanity, the episode emphasizes the need for a more compassionate approach to meat production.
Did you know that cattle are not the “climate change killers” they’ve been made out to be? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Marianne Landzettel, journalist and author of Sustainable Meat Production and Processing: Local, Profitable and Humane. Landzettel describes differences in agriculture in the EU, UK and US, and presents evidence supporting the benefits of livestock, and in particular cattle, raised in a regenerative fashion, to help mitigate climate change, and protect soil health. Landzettel explains the climate impacts of feedlot cattle fed grain vs. those responsibly grazed on grasslands. She discusses the benefits of the “livestock” below ground, organic-rich soil, and humane slaughter.