Source:  Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 6/16/09

An organization of animal-health manufacturing executives is launching a marketing campaign trumpeting the economic and environmental benefits of conventional beef production over those of grass-only or natural beef production systems.

The Growth Enhancement Technology Information Team (GET IT) said the program will provide beef producers with facts about the "eco-friendly and eco-nomical" benefits of conventional beef production, which they can pass on to family members, friends and people who might be unfamiliar with the topic.

"U.S. consumers are facing rising food costs in a tight economy and the continued pressure to purchase sustainable products," GET IT Chairman Paul Parker said. "GET IT believes beef producers have a great opportunity to be proactive and positive with messages about beef's affordability and environmental and economic sustainability."

A key campaign message is that conventional beef production is environmentally friendly compared to grass-only or natural beef-production systems.

"It may seem counterintuitive that conventional beef production has less environmental impact than grass-only, natural or organic beef production," Parker said. "But cattle finished on grain-based rations using growth-enhancing technologies are more land efficient and reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

GET IT cites an Iowa State University study comparing conventional, grain-fed beef production to grass-only, natural beef production, which showed, among other things, that conventional production reduces by two-thirds the amount of land needed to produce a pound of beef.

"There always will be a niche market for organic and natural beef. Grass-fed beef is environmentally friendly, but not as much as conventional beef production, and it's certainly not as sustainable because of higher production costs and use of land resources," Parker said. "GET IT supports consumer choice at the meat counter but wants people to know beef from grain-fed cattle receiving growth-enhancing technologies is the best environmental choice."

Publicity

The GET IT campaign includes both print and electronic advertising in major beef-industry publications, electronic newsletters and Web sites. Producers and consumers can learn more about benefits of conventional beef production by visiting beeftechnologies.com/eco.

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