Cows on the Planet

Join Tim and Kim and Dr. Francis Fluharty of the University of Georgia  as they talk about changes in cattle over the past 60 years, whether these changes can be sustained in the future, and the desirability of selecting for cows that are excellent swimmers for future floods. ReferencesHerrero, M., & Thornton, P. K. (2013). Livestock and global change: Emerging issues for sustainable food systems. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(52), 20878–20881. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1321844111Lamm, K. W., Randall, N. L., & Fluharty, F. L. (2021). Critical issues facing the animal and food industry: A Delphi analysis. Translational Animal Science, 5(1), txaa213. https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txaa213Nicol, C. J. (2021). A Grand Challenge for Animal Science: Multiple Goals – Convergent and Divergent. Frontiers in Animal Science, 2, 640503. https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2021.640503Nielsen, M. S. W., & Bergfeld, E. (2003). Critical perspectives in animal agriculture: A response. Journal of Animal Science, 81(11), 2908–2911. https://doi.org/10.2527/2003.81112908xRioja-Lang, F. C., Connor, M., Bacon, H. J., Lawrence, A. B., & Dwyer, C. M. (2020). Prioritization of Farm Animal Welfare Issues Using Expert Consensus. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 6, 495. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2019.00495Schillo, K. K. (2003). Critical perspectives of animal agriculture: Introduction1,2. Journal of Animal Science, 81(11), 2880–2886. https://doi.org/10.2527/2003.81112880x

Join Tim and Kim as they visit with Mark Aspin, Manager of the Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Consortium in New Zealand.  Much discussion of burps, farts and levies for ruminant-produced greenhouse gasses ensues. References Buddle, Bryce M., Michel Denis, Graeme T. Attwood, Eric Altermann, Peter H. Janssen, Ron S. Ronimus, Cesar S. Pinares-Patiño, Stefan Muetzel, and D. Neil Wedlock. “Strategies to Reduce Methane Emissions from Farmed Ruminants Grazing on Pasture.” The Veterinary Journal 188, no. 1 (April 2011): 11–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2010.02.019.Animals. “Can You Tax a Cow’s Burps? New Zealand Will Be the First to Try.,” November 17, 2022. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/can-you-tax-a-cows-burps-new-zealand-will-be-the-first-to-try.Corlett, Eva. “Nineteen Years after the ‘Fart Tax’, New Zealand’s Farmers Are Fighting Emissions.” The Guardian, November 12, 2022, sec. World news. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/12/19-years-after-the-fart-tax-new-zealands-farmers-are-fighting-emissions.González-Recio, O., J. López-Paredes, L. Ouatahar, N. Charfeddine, E. Ugarte, R. Alenda, and J.A. Jiménez-Montero. “Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases in Dairy Cattle via Genetic Selection: 2. Incorporating Methane Emissions into the Breeding Goal.” Journal of Dairy Science 103, no. 8 (August 2020): 7210–21. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2019-17598.Hayek, Matthew N, and Scot M Miller. “Underestimates of Methane from Intensively Raised Animals Could Undermine Goals of Sustainable Development.” Environmental Research Letters 16, no. 6 (June 1, 2021): 063006. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac02ef.Hickey, Sharon M., Wendy E. Bain, Timothy P. Bilton, Gordon J. Greer, Sara Elmes, Brooke Bryson, Cesar S. Pinares-Patiño, et al. “Impact of Breeding for Reduced Methane Emissions in New Zealand Sheep on Maternal and Health Traits.” Frontiers in Genetics 13 (September 30, 2022): 910413. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2022.910413.McGregor, Andrew, Lauren Rickards, Donna Houston, Michael K. Goodman, and Milena Bojovic. “The Biopolitics of Cattle Methane Emissions Reduction: Governing Life in a Time of Climate Change.” Antipode 53, no. 4 (July 2021): 1161–85. https://doi.org/10.1111/anti.12714.Press ·, The Associated. “New Zealand’s Plan to Tax Cow Burps Condemned by Farmers | CBC News.” CBC, October 11, 2022. https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/new-zealand-proposes-taxing-cow-burps-1.6612302.Smith, Ian. “Farmers Protest against New Zealand’s Proposed ‘Cow Burp Tax.’” euronews, October 20, 2022. https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/10/20/cow-burps-to-be-taxed-under-world-first-proposals-by-new-zealand.

ReferencesBai, Zhaohai, Xiangwen Fan, Xinpeng Jin, Zhanqing Zhao, Yan Wu, Oene Oenema, Gerard Velthof, Chunsheng Hu, and Lin Ma. “Relocate 10 Billion Livestock to Reduce Harmful Nitrogen Pollution Exposure for 90% of China’s Population.” Nature Food 3, no. 2 (February 10, 2022): 152–60. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-021-00453-z.Rütting, T., H. Aronsson, and S. Delin. “Efficient Use of Nitrogen in Agriculture.” Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 110, no. 1 (January 2018): 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-017-9900-8.Samanta, Prantik, Harald Horn, and Florencia Saravia. “Impact of Livestock Farming on Nitrogen Pollution and the Corresponding Energy Demand for Zero Liquid Discharge.” Water 14, no. 8 (April 15, 2022): 1278. https://doi.org/10.3390/w14081278.Skeffington, R.A., and Emma J. Wilson. “Excess Nitrogen Deposition: Issues for Consideration.” Environmental Pollution 54, no. 3–4 (1988): 159–84. https://doi.org/10.1016/0269-7491(88)90110-8.Sun, Bo, Linxiu Zhang, Linzhang Yang, Fusuo Zhang, David Norse, and Zhaoliang Zhu. “Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution in China: Causes and Mitigation Measures.” AMBIO 41, no. 4 (June 2012): 370–79. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-012-0249-6.

Join Tim and Kim as they talk with Dr. Colleen Duncan of Colorado State University and Dr. Katie Steneroden of Iowa State University on potential cow-related pandemics of the future, the role of climate change in pandemics and the need for future fun fashion with hazmat suits in designer colors. BibliographyBernstein, A. S., Ando, A. W., Loch-Temzelides, T., Vale, M. M., Li, B. V., Li, H., Busch, J., Chapman, C. A., Kinnaird, M., Nowak, K., Castro, M. C., Zambrana-Torrelio, C., Ahumada, J. A., Xiao, L., Roehrdanz, P., Kaufman, L., Hannah, L., Daszak, P., Pimm, S. L., & Dobson, A. P. (2022). The costs and benefits of primary prevention of zoonotic pandemics. Science Advances, 8(5), eabl4183. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abl4183Jones, B. A., Grace, D., Kock, R., Alonso, S., Rushton, J., Said, M. Y., McKeever, D., Mutua, F., Young, J., McDermott, J., & Pfeiffer, D. U. (2013). Zoonosis emergence linked to agricultural intensification and environmental change. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(21), 8399–8404. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1208059110Magouras, I., Brookes, V. J., Jori, F., Martin, A., Pfeiffer, D. U., & Dürr, S. (2020). Emerging Zoonotic Diseases: Should We Rethink the Animal–Human Interface? Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 7, 582743. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2020.582743McDaniel, C. J., Cardwell, D. M., Moeller, R. B., & Gray, G. C. (2014). Humans and Cattle: A Review of Bovine Zoonoses. Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 14(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1089/vbz.2012.1164Meurens, F., Dunoyer, C., Fourichon, C., Gerdts, V., Haddad, N., Kortekaas, J., Lewandowska, M., Monchatre-Leroy, E., Summerfield, A., Wichgers Schreur, P. J., van der Poel, W. H. M., & Zhu, J. (2021). Animal board invited review: Risks of zoonotic disease emergence at the interface of wildlife and livestock systems. Animal, 15(6), 100241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.animal.2021.100241Petrovan, S. O., Aldridge, D. C., Bartlett, H., Bladon, A. J., Booth, H., Broad, S., Broom, D. M., Burgess, N. D., Cleaveland, S., Cunningham, A. A., Ferri, M., Hinsley, A., Hua, F., Hughes, A. C., Jones, K., Kelly, M., Mayes, G., Radakovic, M., Ugwu, C. A., … Sutherland, W. J. (2021). Post COVID‐19: A solution scan of options for preventing future zoonotic epidemics. Biological Reviews, 96(6), 2694–2715. https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12774PREVENTING THE NEXT PANDEMIC: Zoonotic diseases and how to break the chain of transmission. (n.d.).

BibliographyChakravarti, A. K. (1985). Cattle development problems and programs in India: A regional analysis. GeoJournal, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00174664Gupta, J. J., Singh, K. M., Bhatt, B. P., & Dey, A. (n.d.). A diagnostic study on livestock production system in Eastern Region of India. 7.Khan, A. A., & Bidabadi, F. S. (2004). Livestock Revolution in India: Its Impact and Policy Response. South Asia Research, 24(2), 99–122. https://doi.org/10.1177/0262728004047907Kumar, A., & Singh, D. K. (n.d.). Livestock Production Systems in India: An Appraisal Across Agro-Ecological Regions. 22.Thornton, P., Nelson, G., Mayberry, D., & Herrero, M. (2022). Impacts of heat stress on global cattle production during the 21st century: A modelling study. The Lancet Planetary Health, 6(3), e192–e201. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00002-X 

Join Tim and Kim as they talk with Dr. Frank Mitloehner of UC Davis about how dietary choices affect green house gasses, teaching children to cook, and the need for better-looking scientists among other things.BibliographyAlmiron, N., & Zoppeddu, M. (2015). Eating Meat and Climate Change: The Media Blind Spot—A Study of Spanish and Italian Press Coverage. Environmental Communication, 9(3), 307–325. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2014.953968Amundson, R. (2022). Negative emissions in agriculture are improbable in the near future. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(12), e2118142119. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2118142119González, N., Marquès, M., Nadal, M., & Domingo, J. L. (2020). Meat consumption: Which are the current global risks? A review of recent (2010–2020) evidences. Food Research International, 137, 109341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2020.109341Pitesky, M. E., Stackhouse, K. R., & Mitloehner, F. M. (2009). Clearing the Air. In Advances in Agronomy (Vol. 103, pp. 1–40). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2113(09)03001-6Raiten, D. J., Allen, L. H., Slavin, J. L., Mitloehner, F. M., Thoma, G. J., Haggerty, P. A., & Finley, J. W. (2020). Understanding the Intersection of Climate/Environmental Change, Health, Agriculture, and Improved Nutrition: A Case Study on Micronutrient Nutrition and Animal Source Foods. Current Developments in Nutrition, 4(7), nzaa087. https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzaa087

Join Tim and Kim as they talk with Dr. Sarah Klopatek of UC Davis and learn all the chewy bits of her recent comprehensive study on grass-fed beef economics, meat quality, and environmental impacts. BibliographyDavis, H., Magistrali, A., Butler, G., & Stergiadis, S. (2022). Nutritional Benefits from Fatty Acids in Organic and Grass-Fed Beef. Foods, 11(5), 646. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11050646Geiker, N. R. W., Bertram, H. C., Mejborn, H., Dragsted, L. O., Kristensen, L., Carrascal, J. R., Bügel, S., & Astrup, A. (2021). Meat and Human Health—Current Knowledge and Research Gaps. Foods, 10(7), 1556. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10071556Klopatek, S. C., Marvinney, E., Duarte, T., Kendall, A., Yang, X. (Crystal), & Oltjen, J. W. (2022a). Grass-fed vs. grain-fed beef systems: Performance, economic, and environmental trade-offs. Journal of Animal Science, 100(2), skab374. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skab374Klopatek, S. C., Marvinney, E., Duarte, T., Kendall, A., Yang, X. (Crystal), & Oltjen, J. W. (2022b). Grass-fed vs. grain-fed beef systems: Performance, economic, and environmental trade-offs. Journal of Animal Science, 100(2), skab374. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skab374Klopatek, S. C., & Oltjen, J. W. (2022). How advances in animal efficiency and management have affected beef cattle’s water intensity in the United States: 1991 compared to 2019. Journal of Animal Science, skac297. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skac297Provenza, F. D., Kronberg, S. L., & Gregorini, P. (2019). Is Grassfed Meat and Dairy Better for Human and Environmental Health? Frontiers in Nutrition, 6, 26. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2019.00026Tichenor, N. E., Peters, C. J., Norris, G. A., Thoma, G., & Griffin, T. S. (2017). Life cycle environmental consequences of grass-fed and dairy beef production systems in the Northeastern United States. Journal of Cleaner Production, 142, 1619–1628. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.11.138Turner, T. D., Jensen, J., Pilfold, J. L., Prema, D., Donkor, K. K., Cinel, B., Thompson, D. J., Dugan, M. E. R., & Church, J. S. (2015). Comparison of fatty acids in beef tissues from conventional, organic and natural feeding systems in western Canada. Canadian Journal of Animal Science, 95(1), 49–58. https://doi.org/10.4141/cjas-2014-113

Join Tim and Kim as they discuss the sometimes negative view of agriculture in the media with Ben Wilson and Sarah Wray of Storybrokers Media House. BibliographyJohn, D. A., & Babu, G. R. (2021). Lessons From the Aftermaths of Green Revolution on Food System and Health. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 5, 644559. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2021.644559Lundy, L. K., Ruth, A. M., & Park, T. D. (2007). Entertainment and Agriculture: An Examination of the Impact of Entertainment Media on Perceptions of Agriculture. Journal of Applied Communications, 91(1). https://doi.org/10.4148/1051-0834.1257Tilman, D. (1999). Global environmental impacts of agricultural expansion: The need for sustainable and efficient practices. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 96(11), 5995–6000. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.96.11.5995Wachenheim, C., & Rathge, R. (n.d.). Societal Perceptions of Agriculture. 41.Widiyanti, E., Setyowati, N., & Ardianto, D. T. (2018). Young generation’s perception on the agricultural sector. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 200, 012060. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/200/1/012060

Join Tim and Kim as they welcome back Dr. Edward Bork of the University of Alberta to discuss his work on increasing carbon sequestration by judicious grazing by cattle. Are cattle the problem or part of the solution to climate change?CitationsBaah-Acheamfour, M., Chang, S. X., Carlyle, C. N., & Bork, E. W. (2015). Carbon pool size and stability are affected by trees and grassland cover types within agroforestry systems of western Canada. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 213, 105–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2015.07.016Bork, D. E., & Chair, M. (n.d.). A Reconsideration of Grazing Impacts on Soil Carbon in Northern Temperate Grasslands. 31.Carlyle, C. N. (n.d.). GRAZING EFFECTS ON CARBON STORAGE IN RANGELANDS OF THE CANADIAN PRAIRIE. 26.De Deyn, G. B., Cornelissen, J. H. C., & Bardgett, R. D. (2008). Plant functional traits and soil carbon sequestration in contrasting biomes. Ecology Letters, 11(5), 516–531. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2008.01164.xShrestha, B., Chang, S., Bork, E., & Carlyle, C. (2018). Enrichment Planting and Soil Amendments Enhance Carbon Sequestration and Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Agroforestry Systems: A Review. Forests, 9(6), 369. https://doi.org/10.3390/f9060369Whitehead, D. (2020). Management of Grazed Landscapes to Increase Soil Carbon Stocks in Temperate, Dryland Grasslands. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 4, 585913. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2020.585913

Join Tim and Kim as they talk about all  your favorite potential residues in beef, from hormones and antibiotics to genetically-modified crops, with Dr. Joe Schwarcz, Director of the Office for Science and Society at McGill University.CitationDoyle, E. (2000). Human Safety of Hormone Implants Used to Promote Growth in Cattle. 24.Hirpessa, B., Ulusoy, B., Hecer, C. (2020). Hormones and Hormonal Anabolics: Residues in Animal Source Food, Potential Public Health Impacts, and Methods of Analysis.  Retrieved August 9, 2022, from https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jfq/2020/5065386/Jeong, S.-H., Kang, D.-J., Lim, M.-W., Kang, C.-S., & Sung, H.-J. (2010). Risk Assessment of Growth Hormones and Antimicrobial Residues in Meat. Toxicological Research, 26(4), 301–313. https://doi.org/10.5487/TR.2010.26.4.301Kumar, S. (2018). Adverse effects on consumer’s health caused by hormones administered in cattle. 10.Ramatla, T., Ngoma, L., Adetunji, M., & Mwanza, M. (2017). Evaluation of Antibiotic Residues in Raw Meat Using Different Analytical Methods. Antibiotics, 6(4), 34. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics6040034Smith, Z. K., & Johnson, B. J. (2020). Mechanisms of steroidal implants to improve beef cattle growth: A review. Journal of Applied Animal Research, 48(1), 133–141. https://doi.org/10.1080/09712119.2020.1751642Thieme, D., & Hemmersbach, P. (Eds.). (2010). Doping in Sports (Vol. 195). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-79088-4