Defending Beef: The Ecological and Nutritional Case for Meat

Defending Beef: The Ecological and Nutritional Case for Meat

6 April 2023

Are you one of those who think cattle and beef are public enemy number one? Nicolette Hahn Niman, an environmental lawyer turned rancher, challenges this notion in her new book, Defending Beef: The Ecological and Nutritional Case for Meat.

In this book, Hahn Niman argues that the belief that cattle and beef are harmful to both the environment and our health is not as clear-cut as we have been led to believe. She believes that properly managed livestock, especially cattle, can be essential in maintaining grassland ecosystems by functioning as surrogates for herds of wild ruminants that once covered the globe.

Defending beef debunks popular myths about the supposed health risks of eating beef. It demonstrates that food from cattle, particularly when raised entirely on grass, is incredibly nutritious and an irreplaceable part of the world's food system. Hahn Niman proposes that dispersed, grass-fed, small-scale farms should replace the factory farms that harm animals and the environment, becoming the basis for food production.

But the benefits of cattle do not stop there. Based on empirical scientific data and living examples from around the world, Defending Beef builds a comprehensive argument that cattle can help mitigate climate change, enhance biodiversity, prevent desertification, and provide invaluable nutrition.

Defending Beef is a book about big ideas that also details the author's journey from a sceptical vegetarian to an enthusiastic participant in environmentally sustainable ranching. While the book may not provide a definitive answer to the question of how to feed the Earth's growing population, it makes a strong case that cattle and beef can and must be part of the solution.

The Land Group

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