Ostrich meat is a sustainable alternative to beef

People love beef, despite the environmental costs

Beef is incredibly tough on the environment – a single cow requires an entire acre of space to raise; each pound of meat requires several pounds of feed, and cattle are one of the largest producers of methane – a greenhouse gas much more harmful than carbon dioxide.

But we love beef. The hamburger is a beloved institution, and most people are unwilling to completely swear off beef, even after they are notified of the environmental harm.

Solution: introduce ostrich meat into the market

An Idaho couple recently opened an ostrich farm to introduce this popular red meat into US markets. Not only is ostrich less expensive to raise (and buy in the market), but the meat is healthier and tastes like beef. If the option catches on, we could see more farmers shift meat production from cattle to ostrich.

Get Involved

• Ask your butcher to order ostrich. Create the demand.

Read More

• Food 51 | The Little-Known Red Meat That’s More Sustainable Than Beef