As consumer preference for grass-fed beef rises, Cameron Bruett, head of corporate affairs for JBS, says it’s important to promote the products without “vilifying the great work we’re doing in other areas of agriculture.”
“This is a great opportunity for us as an industry, don’t get me wrong. It’s a great marketing opportunity; it’s a great way to get premiums for certain types of products,” he says. “But we need to construct a narrative that that’s just basically a choice based on maybe taste or quality or things of that nature, but it’s not about good versus evil or bad versus good.”
Bruett says he does not believe in the notion that grass-fed beef is better than conventionally raised beef - and vice versa.
“I think anyone who is involved in American agriculture is producing wonderful products that people should enjoy,” he says. “And there should also be choices in the meat cases in the grocery store, whether that’s grass-fed or conventional.”
When it comes to sustainability, Bruett says it’s hard to make a blanket statement that grass-fed beef is better for the environment than conventional beef. Instead, it depends on a variety of factors specific to each operation.
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