Breeding Sustainability in Beef

Will Genetic Breakthroughs Create Practical Solutions?

Leveraging genetics for the sake of achieving goals in our food system is nothing new. Even before blood tests and genetic sequencing research farmers were saving seeds from the best tasting fruits and vegetables and analyzing plant varieties in relation to soil composition. Ranchers and herders took note of which animals were the easiest keepers, the hardiest or the most efficient at giving birth and were careful to manage their breeding pool. It is no surprise that genetics is playing a role in the sustainability conversation.?And in the beef industry it could be a primary component of taking already sustainable practices to the next level.

Can 100% of Calves Make it to Market?

Fertility is often the focus of breeding and genetics. What was once something we could only observe through behavior, life span and physical traits we now examine at the molecular level. What traits ensure a calf’s survival during its first days of life? What traits contribute to calving difficulty either on the part of the cow or the calf? The size, composition and adaptability can all be monitored in the DNA of animals to fine tune desired traits.?

If we think about this in terms of waste and use of resources it means that far more animals will make it to market. A greater percentage of resources used to raise cows will become another valuable resource in the form of a nutritional and secure food source. Based on current knowledge and practices, extremely well monitored cattle operations can predict that 97% of their cows and heifers will become pregnant and of those, 99% will deliver a healthy calf.? Genetics aims to change the baseline for acceptable losses in cattle herds and in doing so, close the gap between resources used by the beef industry versus value created from those resources.??

What if 99% of all cows and heifers gave birth to healthy calves? And what if 99% of those calves either produced another calf or made it to market? Yields would increase while resource use would remain relatively the same.? The pace at which the industry is advancing its understanding of genetics in relation to both fertility and environmental adaptability continues to quicken. Instead of examining breeding from a single focus, genetic research could help ranchers predictably bring higher percentages of cows to market by analyzing cow and calf size, environmental adaptability, ability to convert local feed sources into protein and fertility all at once to discern which genetic traits yield the most overall value in a given area. The customized approach could drastically shift the sustainability of the cattle industry in the United States.

Can We Breed Cows That Don’t Produce Methane?

Offsetting and sequestering harmful emissions has been the name of the game for the beef industry as it looks for practical ways to protect its valuable contribution to food supplies and at the same time combat negative impacts on the environment. Science has looked to nutrition formulas to combat methane emissions in cows, but it could be genetic research that uncovers the most practical and predictable means of neutralizing the methane problem.

French scientists recently discovered a genome linked to methane production in cattle. They hope to make blood testing available to farmers who can then consider breeding out high methane producing animals. Coupled with nutritional consideration they believe genetic considerations could decrease methane emissions by 30% in the next 6 years.

Feed additives used in other countries to reduce methane emissions in cattle have not been approved in the U.S. Nutrition strategies that are available are short term solutions. Once an animal is not eating the methane reducing additives they resume production of the gas. Breeding that targets methane reduction offers a long-term solution.? In Canada, the semen company, Semex, is making their methane trait semen available to the world. Coupled with government policy and incentives supporting genetics as a solution, Semex believes breeding could have a compounding effect on methane reduction.?

Farmers and ranchers haven’t been standing in line to purchase the methane trait semen. Though research proves it is possible to breed cows that emit fewer gasses, little is known about the long term digestive health of these breeding lines and not all cattle owners see methane emissions as a genetic issue to begin with.? Similarly, ranchers have been cautious with breeding decisions and opted not to risk breeding out other valuable traits in their herds. Consumers could play a role in the practicality of a genetic approach. Will consumers value a food source that reduces environmental footprint even if it modifies a valuable trait like flavor?

The pursuit of sustainability is a balancing act with considerations given to the ideas that protect existing value, create minimal disruption to fluid chains and also reduce negative impacts of a system. Tackling sustainability from a genetics perspective could offer strategic solutions to the major issues faced by the beef industry.?

Originally posted on Stratagerm's Blog on January 14, 2025.