Spring Break
Beef a healthy choice for both diet and economy
Guest columnist - Kimberly Rossi
Issue date: 10/26/09 Section: Opinion
I would like to address this column to Mr. Stephens, the author of Thursday's article, "Eat less meat to help save the world, environment."
I am appalled that such an article was published in the newspaper of one of the top agricultural schools in the nation -- an article that slams the beef industry and the agricultural industry with misunderstood facts and a lack of knowledge. I understand that this is an opinion-generated article, and I compliment you on exercising your right to freedom of speech -- however, I challenge your publication on faulty prejudices on an industry that feeds you, clothes you and keeps you warm.
Mr. Stephens, I was born and raised on a family-owned and operated cattle ranch in Northwestern Colorado. Our lifestyle is one that is repeatedly misunderstood and attacked by outsiders who know little of the hard work and heart that goes into animal husbandry and agriculture in general.
For example, in December of 2003, the outbreak of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), more commonly known as "Mad Cow Disease," created a huge misunderstanding in the U.S. beef markets, even after the origin was traced to a different country and actions were taken to effectively prevent possible transmission. This was because American consumers misunderstood the true story behind BSE.
The examples I could give you about misconceptions the American consumer holds against the agricultural industry, which bring about negative and truly wrong connotations, are endless. I can now add your article to my list of examples.
Meat is an essential part of humans' diets. Meat provides protein, energy, minerals and essential vitamins and fatty acids in an ideal proportion. If we switch to a vegetative diet, as your article suggests, we would need to consume more food in a wider variety to acquire the same nutritional balance meat provides. How can you say that beef, is "more dangerous to public health than Coke?"
A small, three ounce serving of beef not only provides a large amount of protein, zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, iron and niacin, but it supplies more than 10 percent of the daily value for these nutrients. In fact, this same three-ounce serving of beef will provide you with 112 percent of your daily requirement for vitamin B12 and more than half of your daily protein requirement. You may have found it a catchy introduction, but it is completely inaccurate and misleading.
I am appalled that such an article was published in the newspaper of one of the top agricultural schools in the nation -- an article that slams the beef industry and the agricultural industry with misunderstood facts and a lack of knowledge. I understand that this is an opinion-generated article, and I compliment you on exercising your right to freedom of speech -- however, I challenge your publication on faulty prejudices on an industry that feeds you, clothes you and keeps you warm.
Mr. Stephens, I was born and raised on a family-owned and operated cattle ranch in Northwestern Colorado. Our lifestyle is one that is repeatedly misunderstood and attacked by outsiders who know little of the hard work and heart that goes into animal husbandry and agriculture in general.
For example, in December of 2003, the outbreak of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), more commonly known as "Mad Cow Disease," created a huge misunderstanding in the U.S. beef markets, even after the origin was traced to a different country and actions were taken to effectively prevent possible transmission. This was because American consumers misunderstood the true story behind BSE.
The examples I could give you about misconceptions the American consumer holds against the agricultural industry, which bring about negative and truly wrong connotations, are endless. I can now add your article to my list of examples.
Meat is an essential part of humans' diets. Meat provides protein, energy, minerals and essential vitamins and fatty acids in an ideal proportion. If we switch to a vegetative diet, as your article suggests, we would need to consume more food in a wider variety to acquire the same nutritional balance meat provides. How can you say that beef, is "more dangerous to public health than Coke?"
A small, three ounce serving of beef not only provides a large amount of protein, zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, iron and niacin, but it supplies more than 10 percent of the daily value for these nutrients. In fact, this same three-ounce serving of beef will provide you with 112 percent of your daily requirement for vitamin B12 and more than half of your daily protein requirement. You may have found it a catchy introduction, but it is completely inaccurate and misleading.
Viewing Comments 1 - 9 of 13
Nick
posted 10/26/09 @ 5:53 PM MST
So, the original article linked eating less or no animals to direct environmental benefits, but this response article ignores those statistics (the writer says that "90% of land used for animal agriculture can't be used for other purposes" and that cattle "consume a diet of mostly hay" but offers no evidence or statistics to these claims). (Continued…)
Julia Weichselbaum
posted 10/26/09 @ 10:42 PM MST
This was a knee-jerk, emotional response to a responsible article. Alex Stephens didn't say anything negative about small cattle ranchers, or large-scale meat production, for that matter. (Continued…)
Skeptical White Man
posted 10/27/09 @ 9:56 AM MST
Voters should have to demonstrate competence and literacy before being allowed to vote, but those requirements have been found unconstitutional. Sorry Nick, you're just a gnat in a sea of liberal arrogance. (Continued…)
Bree
posted 10/27/09 @ 7:13 PM MST
This response is clearly just an emotional retaliation to what she felt was an article condemning her lifestyle. However, the majority of anti-American beef studies and subsequent publications that I've read recently do not denounce individual ranchers, rather they criticize the American government's means of subsidization. (Continued…)
daniel.jackson
Daniel Jackson
posted 10/30/09 @ 9:23 AM MST
Really?! Really, Ms. Rossi?! Do you actually believe what you are saying? I have come to the conclusion that either a) you are grossly misinformed, or b) you are knowingly misleading readers. (Continued…)
David Klausa
posted 11/03/09 @ 11:36 PM MST
This is a dangerous message; I hope many readers who weren't taken in by this. What we eat is the most important impact most people have on a global scale. (Continued…)
Arvensis
posted 11/04/09 @ 4:27 PM MST
To all those who buy into the AGW crap:
Did you know that Mr. Al Gore is not a vegetarian? He enjoys meat and has no intentions of removing it from his diet. (Continued…)
Nell
posted 11/12/09 @ 9:16 AM MST
Not convinced. I smell bias and methane. I wish I could check your sources, but seeing as you did not provide any, my beliefs 'bout the beef industry and my vegetarian lifestyle go unchallenged. (Continued…)
Arvensis
posted 11/13/09 @ 9:58 PM MST
Response to Thomas:
If Al Gore is not the leader of the movement, then who is? If it were not for "an inconvenient lie" would the
entire world believe that CO2 was causing global warming?
When I first became aware of the 'global warming' movement, I took it hook, line, and sinker and went so far as to convince myself and those close to me that we were causing global warming. (Continued…)
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