Meat: Optimal for health & the environment

With guest Peter Ballerstedt

This episode with Peter Ballerstedt makes the case that animal-based foods are nutritionally optimal for humans, and provide a sustainable way to feed the world.

Peter is a leading advocate for ruminant animal agriculture. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky in 1986, specializing in forage management and utilization, minoring in ruminant nutrition. He was the forage extension specialist at Oregon State University from 1986 to 1992. Peter worked for Barenberg USA, a major forage seed company from 2011 until his retirement this past July. And he is the current president of the American Forage and Grassland Council.

Peter describes himself as building bridges between two tribes he belongs to -- those who produce grass-eating animals like cattle and sheep, and those who particularly appreciate the nutritional and health benefits of an ancestral diet that includes animal products like meat, eggs and dairy. He is in demand internationally as a conference speaker for both tribes.

In this episode, Peter highlights the importance of animal-sourced foods in providing essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. He emphasizes the unique ecological niche of ruminants and their role in up-cycling nutrients. Peter also addresses the debate between grass-fed and conventional beef, taking into account the affordability and availability in dietary choices. He discusses global trends in plant vs. animal-based diets and the potential negative impact of plant-based diets on public health. 

Finally, Peter addresses the environmental impact of plant-based vs. meat-based diets and challenges the notion that they are detrimental to the environment. He explains the carbon cycle and the role of grasslands in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. Peter emphasizes the complexity of sustainability and the need to consider economic and societal factors. He also compares emissions from livestock and plant agriculture, highlighting the importance of taking into account the full context. The conversation explores the feasibility of feeding a growing population with animal agriculture and the potential for expanding herds on marginal lands. 

Peter concludes by discussing signs of progress and the importance of bottom-up change to influence public opinion and policy.

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References and links:

• Podcast/Blog:  

http://grassbasedhealth.blogspot.com

• White, R. R. and M. B. Hall (2017). "Nutritional and greenhouse gas impacts of removing animals from US agriculture." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 114(48): E10301-E10308.

• “Ruminating on Protein” 

• “Metabolic Health and Sustainability” https://keto-mojo.com/lowcarbusa_video/metabolic-health-and-sustainability/

Here is a guide to topics discussed in this podcast episode:

Time     Topic

01:21     Introduction 

03:02     Peter's personal journey and Interest in ancestral diets

08:53     Connecting the ruminant animal agriculture and ancestral diet "tribes"

12:38     Ecological role of ruminants

14:39     Unique benefits of meat and animal products in the human diet

19:16     The quality of protein in plant- vs. animal-based foods

25:02     The role of ruminants in nutrient upcycling

28:37     Metabolism of humans vs. other primates

31:10     Origins of ruminant agriculture

34:57     The debate about grass-fed vs. conventionally raised beef

41:23     Global trends in consumption of plant- vs. animal-based foods

43:40     Global health Impact of plant- vs. animal-based diets 

47:55     Greenhouse gas impact of ruminant agriculture

51:00     The carbon cycle connecting ruminants and grasslands

53:50     Comprehensive sustainability accounting

56:06     Comparing emissions from livestock and crop agriculture

59:33     The scale of emissions and potential solutions

1:00:07  Is there enough grassland to feed the world a ruminant-based diet?

1:04:10  Improving the efficiency of livestock agriculture

1:07:26  The feasibility of meat production to feed the world

1:09:27  The moral imperative to promote animal agriculture

1:13:20  Influencing opinion and signs of progress