The Ultimate Guide to Exploring Regenerative Meat: Key Things to Know
Meat provides an important source of protein, plays an integral part in various cultural practices, and can provide humans with key vitamins and minerals.
However, meat has come under fire due to the inhumane treatment of the animals that provide and its negative environmental impact being responsible for between 11.1% and 19.6% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
BUT, not all meat is created equally.
This guide explores the pros and cons of conventional versus regenerative meat with hopes that conscious consumers can decide what the most sustainable choice for their diet is.
What many of us can change about our meat consumption habits, is our shopping habits: finding meat sourced from animals that have been raised with more awareness for the planet, people, and the animals themselves.
Enter regenerative meat: protein sourced from animals raised on farms using regenerative practices. These practices focus on soil health, supporting biodiversity, and restoring ecosystem health, as well as protecting animal welfare, treating workers ethically, and promoting human health.
Basically regenerative agriculture and meat considers the overall eco-system!
Is Regenerative Meat Better for the Planet?
The answer to this question is not a simple yes. Regenerative meat may have advantages over conventionally produced meat, but environmental effects still apply. Let’s explore the pros and cons.
Healthier Soil
Soil health is key to regenerative agriculture. By employing methods such as crop rotation, cover crops, intercropping, and low or no tillage, soil health is improved.
Grazing can also contribute to soil health, and since animal welfare is integral to regenerative agriculture, animals should be raised in humane and comfortable conditions that mimic their natural behaviors, such as grazing.
This keeps them out of the feedlots that have rightly raised so much controversy. However, to avoid overgrazing – which can damage the soil – rotational grazing is implemented.
By rotating ruminant animals between pastures, the soil has a chance to recover and allows the animals to display natural herd behavior.
Additionally, these pastures are usually organic, which means fewer or no pesticides and synthetic fertilizers have been used. This results in better quality, nutrient-dense food, and decreases chemical runoff into waterways, preventing water pollution.
land needs & greenhouse gas can be a con
One of the chief disadvantages of regenerative farms is the need for more land for raising and feeding animals, which means more land needs to be cleared.
This is a detrimental effect of agriculture, because clearing land destroys habitats and releases carbon dioxide into the air. But carbon dioxide is not the only greenhouse gas we have to worry about when it comes to animal agriculture – there is also methane.
When ruminant animals (like goats, sheep, and cattle) digest their food, it is processed in their systems through fermentation, breaking down the food, and producing methane. This is expelled from the animal in the form of burps and sometimes farts, and is emitted into the atmosphere.
While methane does not persist in the environment as long as carbon dioxide does, it is more potent.
However, through its restorative practices regenerative agriculture attempts to negate these impacts. Alternative solutions and innovations are being sought within the industry as well, such as including seaweed in animals’ diets to lower methane emissions.
Besides, ruminant animals like bison, moose, and caribou have roamed (as well as grazed and burped) freely over large tracts of North America for centuries, and a disproportionate amount of blame is being laid on the humble cow and other farm ruminants.
We should be more concerned about the heavy methane emissions from the extraction of fossil fuels, the decomposition of landfill waste, and damaged infrastructure in the oil and gas industry.
Does Regenerative Agriculture Impact the Nutrition of Meat?
Grass-fed meat has been found to have more nutrient value than conventional meat, because the animals have access to a larger range of nutrients due to the diversity in the plants they eat.
This results in higher levels of essential vitamins, as well as more omega-3 fatty acids. Beef from cows raised on grain tends to have more saturated fat, posing a greater risk to our heart health, while grass-fed meat provides a leaner cut.
Grains are fed to cattle to fatten them up, while hormones are administered to accelerate their growth rate; but there is concern about the impact of hormones on animal health.
When animals sickens they may be given antibiotics, and the excessive or improper use of this drug may lead to resistance in bacteria, impacting both animals and humans.
As with organic meat, regenerative animal agriculture tries to emit or reduce the use of hormones and antibiotics.
Certifications and Labels
So what meat should you be buying if you want to consider people, animals, and the planet?
By now we have come across the term “grass-fed” a few times. You may have seen this term on packages of beef or lamb. As is often the case with labels, be diligent and explore the brand further, because many terms can be misleading or ill-defined.
Criteria for “grass-fed” may differ from brand to brand; even if animals are grass-fed, this does not mean their diets are not being supplemented with grain.
If you want to ensure their diet has not been supplemented, look for the 100% grass-fed and finished label.
The term “free-range” can be just as tricky. To make an example of chickens: even when they have access to the outdoors, they may still be kept in crowded spaces and bred to be uncomfortably large, making moving and going out difficult.
“Pasture-raised” is often the better choice, because it will tell you that the animal gets a lot, if not all, of its diet from pastures and spends time roaming outside.
As for phrasing like “no added hormones”: this does not equate to zero hormones.
If you’re looking for certified regenerative meat, check out labels like Regenerative Organic Certified from the Regenerative Organic Alliance, Certified Regenerative by AGW, and Certified Humane.
Consider shopping for meat at local farms and asking about their regenerative practices. This is a great way to support small local farmers!
Is Regenerative Different Than Organic?
If you usually shop organic, you should be fine choosing regenerative meat, because the starting point for regenerative agriculture is often an implementation of organic practices.
The key difference is that regenerative agriculture seeks to restore and nurture the environment, instead of merely reducing harm.
However, many organic practices can have a positive impact on the environment too when compared to conventional, so it would be disingenuous to say that organic farming is merely about reducing harm. Ultimately, there is a lot of overlap.
Where to Buy Regenerative Meat?
I’ve been trying to choose more regenerative meat products. I’ve been able to find some regenerative ground beef at local grocery stores including Whole Foods. It’s also worth looking for at your local farmer’s market!
I also recently tried Force of Nature’s regenerative meats.
This post does contain a referral link. The Honest Consumer will receive store credit if you decide to make a purchase, but our credit is at no additional cost to you.
Be sure to check out my Force of Nature review if you’re interested in exploring regenerative meats or use my referral link for $15 off your first purchase.
MEET THE AUTHORS
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Claudia Hauter is a South African writer, copy editor, and content creator with degrees in Drama and Anthropology. She works in television managing web content. When she isn’t reading or writing, she’s walking her dog, finding small businesses and markets to support, or attracting butterflies and bees with her vegetable garden. Learn from Claudia on Twitter or Instagram.
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Emily Waddell is the founder of The Honest Consumer. She has always been passionate about business for good and has a Bachelor degree in Social Entrepreneurship. She currently lives in Seattle where she practices imperfect sustainability. When she’s not writing, Emily enjoys supporting small businesses, clean eating, ethical fashion, and practicing slow living.