NCBA speaker highlights sustainability at ICA BeefMeet

by | Jun 14, 2021 | 5 Ag Stories, News

The Iowa Cattlemen?s Association kicked off its series of BeefMeets last week at a farm near Griswold. The featured speaker gave a presentation titled ?Beef Sustainability: A Paradigm Shift??

INTERVIEW: Ashley McDonald, senior director of sustainability for NCBA

Ashley McDonald is the senior director of sustainability for the National Cattlemen?s Beef Association, known as NCBA. McDonald spoke to the group of local Iowa farmers about the different ways those in the Ag industry can emphasize the positive role that cattle and beef play in a sustainable food system.

?The world has really come a long way just within the pandemic years here and we?ve really seen a concerted effort and a lot of attention placed on all of agriculture sustainability, but livestock in particular,? McDonald told IARN. ?I think we have made progress in highlighting with key influencers that agriculture can be a solution to climate change, it can be sustainable for the planet, it can support rural communities, and be good for animal welfare. All of those things can happen. I think we have made some progress, but I still think we have a long way to go.?

McDonald said producers need to continue to fight for agriculture and have a voice in the conversation. She presented a scenario years down the line where meat is taken out of stores, and asked the audience to think about what can happen today to prevent such a thing from happening.

?I presented that in 2030, a major retailer such as Whole Foods or Costco decides to take beef off of their shelves entirely because it doesn?t line up with their corporate mission to benefit people and the planet,? said McDonald. ?That?s the bad scenario I threw out there. The question is, what should we be doing today to make sure that doesn?t happen? That?s what I want people to really think about.?

According to NCBA, compared to 1977 today the U.S. produces the same amount of beef with 33 percent fewer cattle. Additionally, the U.S. produces 18 percent of the world?s beef with just 8 percent of the world?s cattle.