RAISED WITH REDUCED CARBON EMISSIONS

The factors below are major determinants of GHG emissions associated with raising beef cattle. The Certified Sustainable scoring system accounts for the known GHG emissions associated with variations in each factor.

Production Pathway refers to four different management systems used to raise beef cattle in the U.S. Cattle may be born on farms and ranches and stay there until they enter a feedlot. Alternatively, they may be “backgrounded” in an intermediate feedlot where they’re fed a high forage diet. Grass-fed cattle will spend most of their time in a grazing environment. Dairy beef crossbred cattle are born on a dairy farm and spend four to six months on a calf ranch before entering the feedlot. Most beef cattle will finish their life in a feedlot, with the exception of grass-fed cattle.

Manure Management includes the various practices used for storing and disposing of manure across different management systems. When grazing, cattle naturally distribute manure on the range or pasture. On calf ranches and feedlots, manure is mechanically scraped from the pens and stored in dry piles before being spread on fields as fertilization. On dairy farms, manure is typically stored in tanks or lagoons, and may be processed with an anaerobic digester to capture methane and generate electricity or renewable natural gas.

Inorganic Nitrogen fertilizer is applied to boost yields in grass pastures and crops used as cattle feed. However, it also produces the GHG nitrous oxide in proportion to the application rate. By tracking the amount of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer used in each production pathway, we can account for its contribution to the feed-related carbon footprint of the animal.

Dietary Fat Content or added fat to cattle rations is a simple approach to reducing enteric methane. Fat also increases the energy content of cattle diets to help them grow more quickly.

Anti-Methane Feed Additives are a proven solution for reducing enteric methane in cattle at feedlots and calf ranches. The Certified Sustainable scoring system credits only those additives with Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status or U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval. Additives like Rumensin^®, essential oil blends such as Agolin^®, and products from Mootra^®, have been scientifically shown to effectively reduce enteric methane emissions.

Ionophore Supplementation from products like Rumensin and Bovatec^® helps reduce coccidia, an intestinal parasite in cattle, promoting faster growth and better overall health. As a result, cattle grow more quickly and produce fewer GHG emissions over their lifetime.

Cattle Feed Efficiency is influenced by genetics, diet composition, feed additives and overall health. More feed-efficient cattle require less feed and water, resulting in lower GHG emissions.

Animal Age and Weight are used to determine efficiency. Cattle that reach their target weight more quickly will produce less GHG emissions over their lifetime than animals that take longer.

Maternal Cow Weights in Low Carbon Technologies' LCA for beef also account for the emissions associated with maintaining the dams of beef cattle. In conventional beef production, each cow typically produces one calf per year, and her annual GHG emissions significantly contribute to her offspring’s carbon footprint. Larger mother cows require more feed and water, resulting in higher GHG emissions compared to smaller cattle.

Harvest Ratio is a key measure of herd efficiency, representing the ratio of harvested cattle to maternal cows. It reflects how effectively resources are utilized in beef production and the associated GHG emissions. An ideal harvest ratio is 1, meaning each mother cow produces one calf per year that reaches maturity. Factors such as low fertility, disease and animal loss can reduce the harvest ratio.