Cattle & the Environment

What a hotly debated topic at the moment. When I look for answers to environmental questions, I always start with a simple point - what does nature do? The premise being that if we are either using or replicating a system that developed in nature as a symbiotic part of an ecosystem, then it has a roll, a place, and a benefit. Counter: if we are doing something that does not exist in nature, we have to start with the assumption that there will be issues to mitigate and that those issues might or might not be possible to overcome. Just because it doesn’t exist in nature doesn’t out of hand mean it’s bad, but it does mean we have to diligently determine how to turn it into a positive. 

So back to the initial question, are cows good for the environment? 

From an environmental standpoint, we ask… what is a cow? A cow is just an herbivore like so many others. With slight variations, they fill the same niche as non-domesticated herbivores such as deer, elk, bison, moose, wildebeest, kudu, etc. They graze prairies and savannas. In doing so, they convert cellulose based plant material into proteins and fats that omnivores and carnivores can utilize. That is their place in the food chain of which every living creature on earth is part of. 

So how is this role beneficial? Over time, nature eliminates all its mistakes. Unless an organism has a symbiotic beneficial relationship with those around it, eventually it goes extinct. Think of it this way - if you destroy your own house, you have nowhere to live. So what do herbivores, like cattle, accomplish that makes their environment better? They store carbon...

Environmentally, it’s all about carbon. How much are we pumping into the air? For the last 30 years the talk has centered around lowering our emissions. But only recently have we realized there are actually natural ways to put carbon back into the soil. Placing carbon into the soil in a net positive manner is called downdraft and what Regenerative Agriculture is all about. 

The cycle begins with carbon, predominately in the form of carbon dioxide, in the air. Through photosynthesis, plants take the carbon dioxide out of the air, retain the carbon which becomes their physical structure, and release oxygen. If left alone, that plant will reach maturity, stop growing, and die. The above ground part of the plant will dry out and begin to rot away, at which point the majority of the carbon will volatize back into the air. The roots will decompose into organic matter, the majority of which will be stored long-term in a stable manner underground. 

So if the plant is doing this by itself and storing carbon, why are cows needed? Think of your yard. If you didn’t mow your yard, it would eventually stop growing. Depending on the grasses in your yard, it may grow to be 1 or even 2 feet tall. But because you mow it, it’s total growth for the year will be much much more than the 1 or 2 feet it would grow if left alone. In our environment, the cattle are rotated through pastures where the total growth for the year can easily be 4 to 5 times more than if the field was simply left alone. Underground, this means 4 to 5 times more roots decaying into organic matter and being stored as carbon. But it doesn’t stop there. Without animals, most of the above ground growth eventually volatizes back into the air and the carbon is lost. Cattle convert that above ground growth into manure and urine. A whole host of dung beetles, earthworms, and other biological life take these waste products, consume them, and bury them underground. This greatly enhances the portion of the above ground plant that is now stored long-term as organic matter underground. In this combined symbiotic manner, the cattle grazing easily results in 8 to 10 times more organic matter, carbon, being stored underground than if the field were just left alone. 

This increase in organic matter in the soil increases the soil biodiversity and biology which provides more nutrients for the plants. More nutrients for the plants means more growth for the plants, which means more food for the cattle, which means more carbon storage. Thus a healthier environment, healthier animals, and healthier food for us all.