A first step toward improving sustainability in beef production
is to define what sustainability actually means. A panel of
experts offered their thoughts on sustainable beef, including a
variety of definitions, during the International Livestock
Congress in Denver this week. John Pollack, PhD, who serves as
director of USDA’s Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center,
Nebraska, defined sustainability simply as “the capacity to
endure.” Cristain Barcan, who directs sustainability efforts at
BASF, defines sustainability as practices that “fill the needs
of today without compromising the future.” Kim Stackhouse, PhD,
directs sustainability research for NCBA. She emphasized that
sustainability requires three components – economic viability,
environmental stewardship and social responsibility. Cameron
Bruett, chief sustainability officer for meat packer JBS,
elaborated on those “three pillars,” noting that JBS strives to
reduce the environmental impact of its plants and feedayrds
while contributing to the commun