FOR the first time, global beef will have a voice at the influential meeting of the parties that signed up to the United Nations climate agreement in 1992, known as COP 27.
Leaders of the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef will be speaking in panel sessions at the event in Egypt this week.
A key part of their mission will be to bring the message that the ability of ruminants to put carbon into the soil is a far greater opportunity than any plant-based meat alternative product.
And that the more beef farms and ranches around the world are measured, the more it is being found that so many are already, or very close to, carbon neutral.
The GRSB is holding its 2022 conference in Colorado in the United States this week.
Speaking from that event in Denver, GRSB executive director Ruaraidh Petre said there had been, at previous COP meetings, plenty of detractors attending who say there can be no such thing as sustainable beef.
"This year, we will be there to say there definitely can be and there is already," Mr Petre said.
"It is important to combat these large investors in plant based meat alternatives who push themselves as being a solution to climate change.
"For sure, we acknowledge cattle emit methane but the offset and the ability to sequester carbon can have more impact in the long term."
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As New Zealand producers measure their carbon position to deal with a methane tax, it is being found that so many are sequestering far more carbon than emitting methane, Mr Petre said.
In Latin America, producers are demonstrating the same outcome as they measure their balance, just via their normal grazing management.
And in Australia, carbon emissions across the industry have been measured and reduced by 57 per cent since 2005.
The GRSB, which now has more than hundred members across 24 countries - including some big names from Australia such as AACo, Harvest Road and Meat & Livestock Australia - has a goal of 30pc reduced global warming impact by 2030.
That's more ambitious than most policy settings around the world.
GRSB's president Ian McConnel, an Australian ex-pat, said by demonstrating ambition and progress, the global beef industry could avoid the negative impacts of policy settings like methane taxes and herd reduction schemes.
"If we, as a global industry, achieve our stated targets the methane pledge won't be an issue," he said.
"Whether or not policy makers give us the time will come down to how well we communicate that this is not just a stated ambition, it is a series of actions we are already taking."
Mr McConnell said critical to that would be producers telling the GRSB, and the rest of the value chain and allied services, what sustainability means on their farms and ranches.
He referred to a comment from Walmart executive Bob Fields ten years ago when the GRSB was set up.
When asked why the likes of Walmart, McDonalds and the WWF were coming together on beef and what it is they wanted from the producer, he replied: "We don't want to tell you what sustainable beef is, we just want to sell lots of it."
"Yes, we want to drive change," Mr McConnel said.
"But change that works for producers."
Shan Goodwin
Shan Goodwin steers ACM’s national coverage of the beef industry. Shan has worked as a journalist for 30 years, the majority of that with agricultural publications. She spent many years as The Land’s North Coast reporter and has visited beef properties and stations throughout the country and overseas. She treats all breeds equally. Contact 0427686187. E: s.goodwin@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Shan Goodwin steers ACM’s national coverage of the beef industry. Shan has worked as a journalist for 30 years, the majority of that with agricultural publications. She spent many years as The Land’s North Coast reporter and has visited beef properties and stations throughout the country and overseas. She treats all breeds equally. Contact 0427686187. E: s.goodwin@austcommunitymedia.com.au
