Sizing up cattle at the National Western Stock Show.

What is the “best” meat to eat for the environment? My family has been having this discussion lately. If you’ve previously read anything about this, you’d know that beef has the worst impact on the environment. Well, does it really? Health, ethics, religion, proximity, cost, and availability all weigh into our decision to eat meat. Despite being an environmental professional, I previously gave the environmental impact of meat very little thought. This is despite years of research on the topic. Mainly because I like to eat meat.

Here is a summary of the environmental impacts of eating our most common meats – beef, chicken, pork and fish/seafood. This is not my research and it is not comprehensive of all the available information or environmental impacts. Think of it as the Cliffs Notes version of a lot of meat research. So let’s take a look at, What Meat to Eat? I’ll start with a few statistics concerning the overall environmental impact of eating meat. Continue reading →