Chic consumer choices are often environmentally stupid

Pasture-fed beef or feedlot-finished? Out-of-state eggs or locally grown? Milk from backyard herds or large operations?

In the 21st century, food choices by U.S. consumers are increasingly the result of perception that is flawed and intuition that is ignorant. What’s more, although the latest chic fad is to buy products that are “environmentally friendly” or have a small “carbon footprint,” the truth is that many of those choices are environmentally stupid. This cold dose of reality was delivered by Dr. Jude Capper, assistant professor of dairy science at Washington State University, at the 71st Cornell University Nutrition Conference in Syracuse, N.Y., October 20-22.

"Consumers might think they are making responsible, virtuous food choices, when in truth they are supporting production practices that consume more natural resources, cause greater pollution, and create a larger carbon footprint than more efficient, technology-driven conventional methods," she said, offering these examples:

• In 2007, the U.S. dairy industry produced 8.3 billion more gallons of milk than in 1944, but due to fewer cows and improved productivity the carbon footprint of the entire dairy industry was 41 percent smaller.

• Time needed for beef animals to reach slaughter weight on pasture is nearly double those fed corn. This means energy use and greenhouse gas emissions per pound are three times higher in grass-fed cattle.

• While ‘locally grown’ is well-intentioned, it is incorrect to assume that the distance food travels from point of origin to point of consumption accurately reflects its environmental impact. As an example, a dozen eggs trucked several hundred miles to a grocery store as part of a 23,400-dozen shipment is more fuel-efficient and eco-friendly than a dozen eggs purchased at a farmers’ market (4.5 times more fuel used) or local farm (17.2 times more fuel used).

“The desire to protect the environment, and doing so, in part, by altering personal behaviors is admirable. However, those personal decisions must be based on sound science rather than idyllic intuition,” she said.