Why It’s Crucial for Agriculture to Contribute to Its Own Narrative

There’s a saying in America: “People are down on things they’re not up on.”?

In agriculture, we’re often so focused on the vital work of producing nutritious food that we don’t have the time to “tell the story,” leaving that to those outside our industry who often don’t know the facts.? Agriculture has incredible stories to share, and it’s our responsibility as an industry to communicate and create better understanding of what we do.?

The agri-food industry is simultaneously challenged with boosting food production to nourish the expanding global population while reducing environmental impact. While this is a daunting task, one of the hurdles in our industry globally can be the implementation and widespread adoption of the tools we already have in our toolbox.???

The enormity of the challenge — and the opportunity at hand — was top of mind this week in Uruguay at the Global Conference on Sustainable Beef, where leaders of the global beef value chain gathered to report on the industry’s measurable improvements in sustainability, share best practices and deliver proof that sustainable beef is not only possible, but already a reality.?

Beef producers have often found themselves unfairly portrayed as villains in a distorted narrative about animal agriculture. Misinformation and exaggerated claims have fueled this perception, leaving many producers feeling defenseless in the face of criticism that doesn’t reflect the reality of their work. Despite this, they remain steadfast in their commitment to nourishing people and nurturing the planet — and to finding new ways to communicate their sustainability success stories.??

Against this backdrop of both hope and frustration, we shared our new documentary, “World Without Cows,” with about 250 attendees of the Global Conference on Sustainable Beef.

Created by two journalists who now work in agriculture, “World Without Cows” is a scientific look at the cultural, social, economic, nutritional and environmental impact of cattle on our world. Taking a “follow the story” approach, the two filmmakers traveled to more than 40 locations around the world, capturing diverse perspectives as they explored the implications of a world without cows.??

The resulting documentary examines the profound dependence on cattle in many regions of the world, the challenges of nourishing an ever-expanding global population, the essential value of animal protein, and the complex relationship between cattle and the environment, including their impact on biodiversity, soil health and carbon capture. This balanced presentation opens the door to a new, much-needed conversation about cattle, supplanting criticism with a simple, hopeful question: What if there is more to this story than what is being told? The truth is that the role of cattle cannot be summed up as “bad” or “good.”??

After the screening, I shared the stage with Ruaraidh Petre, executive director of the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef; Brazilian beef producer Daniel Wolf; and Justin Sherrard, vice president of the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef executive committee who is a global strategist at Rabobank and one of the experts featured in the documentary. We discussed how to continue the conversations started in the documentary and the importance of working together to advance sustainable beef.??

“We struggle to tell our story in a way that is engaging and is simple enough to understand,” Justin said.? “This is a huge opportunity for us.”?

“The documentary reinforces what everybody in this room knows, which is that it is not a black-and-white issue,” Ruaraidh added. “There are so many upsides to producing cattle. We know that we can do it well, and we will also admit that not everybody does it well. We must do better.”?

“World Without Cows” challenges each of us to zoom out and see the bigger picture. By bringing critical issues to the forefront, we can bring people together to spark meaningful, science-based and solutions-driven conversations.??

Alltech is facilitating these kinds of conversations all over the world. In 2019, we launched Working Together for a Planet of Plenty?, a call for collaboration across geographies to create science-driven solutions that will not only sustain agriculture, but ensure that we provide nutrition for all, breathe new life into rural communities and restore the planet’s natural resources for future generations.?

During the conference’s keynote address, we highlighted how our Planet of Plenty purpose keeps us firmly committed to driving measurable impact, collaborating across the value chain, and helping producers maximize efficiency, profitability and sustainability.?

Nutrition is one of numerous levers that ranchers can utilize to improve their productivity, driving improvements in average daily gain, reproduction and meat quality. And, what’s most exciting to me is that we are only scratching the surface of what cattle nutrition technologies and strategies can achieve. Enhanced understanding of genetics, nutrition and the rumen microbiome will generate great strides in environmental sustainability in coming years. I am also encouraged by the dedication I see to innovation that will enable us to better deliver nutrition technologies to cattle in pasture, where they spend the majority of their lives.??

A September 2023 article in PLOS extolled the opportunities that exist within agriculture to continue advancing environmental sustainability. Co-lead author Prof. Benjamin Z. Houlton , dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at 美国康奈尔大学 , noted, “Our study recognizes that the food system is one of the most powerful weapons in the battle against climate change.”??

We’re proud of the progress that’s been made, of the proof points we can stand behind and the stories we are able to share. We’re even more encouraged by the opportunities that agriculture has for continued advancement of its contributions to nutrition for all, economic vitality and environmental sustainability. But, we believe we can go further, faster, together. It starts with broader conversations that widen our view on the world and invite unlikely allies into collaboration.??

“People are down on things they are not up on.” “ World Without Cows ” is your invitation to be in on the story — and to help us write the next chapter.??