New Carbon Tale Featuring (Grass-Fed) Cow Tails

We all love a good grass-fed, grass-finished beef cattle carbon emissions story—and JBS Farm Assurance, along with IntegrityAg and the Australian Meat Processor Corporation came in clutch with just the tale.

Once upon a time: There were 176 carbon footprints from farms with regenerative agricultural practices who were surveyed. Fuel, water, electricity, transport, and production figures were all documented as “critical emission contributors,” and cattle hailed from a broad landscape including the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, South-East, South Australia, Gippsland, Victoria, King Island, and even Tasmania. 

A baseline was set: 11.6kg CO2e/kg live weight for involved suppliers, which was 12% below the national Australian average of 13.1kg CO2e/kg live weight. 

Soundbite: “This project can help inform consumers about the value of on-farm practices to protect and enhance natural resources, while also supporting improved farm productivity. Importantly, this data shows JBS Farm Assurance producer partners are excellent farm managers with their current carbon management practices, as evident in their estimated lower-than-average carbon footprint.” — Sam McConnell, Chief Operation Officer for JBS Southern

The adventure: Rob and Joan Liley have farmed in Gippsland for six and a half decades and have led the herd in the JBS Farm Assurance group. Biodiversity, regenerative farming, and sustainability are their areas of expertise.

“Owning and managing land is a privilege, not a right. In order to leave our properties in better shape than we found them to the next generation, it is our responsibility to take care of them.” — Rob Liley

And they all lived happily ever after: This project was an initial step to understand how grazing and herd management might benefit farmers and the environment alike. JBS Australia’s study shows that grass-fed and finished beef has lower emissions than the nation’s average.