Search Fill 1 Created with Sketch.
Search
My Beef Board Members 
Select State... 

Frequently Asked Questions

Explore the Beef Checkoff-funded, science-backed research illustrating how U.S. beef producers are leaders in sustainability.

U.S. vs. Global Emission Intensity

The U.S. has an emission intensity two to nine times lower than top beef production countries such as Australia, India and Brazil. The U.S. has had the lowest GHG emission intensity in the world since 1996.

The Emissions Intensity of the U.S. Beef Industry is:

  • Over 2x lower than Argentina
  • About2x lower than Australia
  • Nearly 3x lower than Brazil
  • Nearly 2x lower than Canada
  • About 9x lower than India

Cattle: The Ultimate Upcyclers

Every day, cattle graze and unknowingly turn natural resources like solar energy and pastureland into high-quality proteins and other invaluable products. They’re upcyclers that take otherwise useless materials, add nutritional and environmental value, and transform them into something more.

Approximately 29% of the land in the U.S. is pasture or rangeland that is too wet, rocky, steep, or arid to support cultivated agriculture.1 This land can support cattle for protein upcycling.

The Value of Upcycling

  1. Upcycling adds additional value to products that otherwise would’ve been wasted.
  2. Byproducts from biofuel and food production industries, such as distillers, grains and beet pulp, are digestible by cattle, reducing the volume of waste going to landfills.
  3. Properly managed cattle grazing can improve rangeland and wildlife habitats.
  4. As the global population grows, ruminant animals like beef cattle can help us make more food with less.
  5. More than 44% of an animal’s live weight transforms into other goods such as leather, cosmetics and pet food.

More with Less

U.S. farmers and ranchers produce 18% of the world’s beef with only 6% of the world’s cattle.2

U.S. Improvements in Beef Production

The U.S. beef industry increased the pounds of beef produced per head by 67.58% since 1961 (compared to 20193)

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Beef cattle only represented 2.3% of emissions in the U.S. in 2020.4

Corn Going to Grain-Finished Beef Cattle

  • 7% of total corn produced in the U.S. is fed to feedlot cattle.5
  • By comparison, 34.8% of corn acreage in the U.S. is used for producing ethanol.6
  • Corn acreage used to feed feedlot cattle is 0.2% of total U.S. land area, 1.4% of total U.S. cropland acres, and 7% of total U.S. harvested corn acres.7
  • The amount of U.S. land used to produce corn to feed grain-finished cattle is less than the size of the Houston Metro area.8

Frequently Asked Questions

According to the Checkoff-funded Meat Demand Monitor – which surveys 2,000 people monthly on their meat preferences and views – taste, freshness, price and safety remain consumers’ most important considerations when purchasing proteins. And while the climate-positive trend is a movement that beef producers know all too well, these are the true factors that continue to show more importance to consumers over stories of beef’s environmental impact. This is encouraging data, showing that, despite misinformation circling, environmental impact is not a significant enough driver to affect the majority of consumers’ purchasing decisions. Still, the Beef Checkoff is committed to dismissing and correcting those false claims while gaining consumers’ confidence through ongoing research and programs.

PROACTIVE STRATEGY

The Beef Checkoff focuses on a proactive messaging strategy to stay ahead of issues that impact consumer perceptions about the beef industry. Consumer education and outreach are at the forefront of these efforts. The goal is to connect and engage with consumers before false information takes root about beef production practices. Here’s a breakdown of some of the Checkoff’s proactive efforts to address misinformation about beef in the environment.

  • Middle and high school beef curriculum: By connecting with the young minds of schoolchildren, the Beef Checkoff can educate tomorrow’s beef consumers today. Educational units focus specifically on greenhouses gasses and cattle, in addition to general beef production and genetics.
  • On The Farm STEM events: The Beef Checkoff funds annual inner city educator immersion events designed to bring teachers to real farms to learn about beef production. In 2022, the educators who participated in the tour served a student population of more than 70,000 students.
  • New York City Climate Week: Beef was front and center in September 2022 during Climate Week, the largest global climate event. Checkoff-funded Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. hosted a webinar on beef being an ultimate climate-smart food and shared the truth behind emissions.
  • Beef Expert Network: The 22 influencers who make up the Checkoff’s Beef Expert Network are all passionate about sharing beef’s story and connecting with their audiences to address misinformation surrounding beef.
  • Digital Campaigns: Checkoff-funded digital campaigns hit Connect TV, YouTube, websites and social platforms, encouraging consumers to “rethink the ranch.” Real beef producers share their beef stories and how they care for their cattle and land.

DISCOVERY PLAN

Unearthing where this misinformation originates is where the Beef Checkoff-funded Digital Command Center comes in. Located in Denver, Colorado, the space looks like a military operations center combined with the TV section at an electronics retailer. Here, the Checkoff-funded Issues Management and Media Relations team actively monitors important television, online and social media conversations, honing in on issues threatening consumer confidence in beef. The Digital Command Center’s technology is highly sophisticated, running twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, actively monitoring more than 200 beef-related topics ranging from dietary guidelines to sustainability claims to meat substitutes and animal welfare.

Team members receive a notification when a beef topic hits a certain threshold, which could be the number of people it’s reached, the number of stories being circulated about a particular topic or other measures. This allows the team to react quickly, including outside of business hours.

If an article or new study features misinterpreted data that may place beef in a negative light, the team will initiate a reactive issues response. This includes working with third-party and in-house experts to issue a response with accurate fact- and science-based information. For example, suppose a popular mainstream publication publishes an article including incorrect data about the beef industry’s impact on greenhouse gases. In that case, the team will reach out to the reporter to clear up the misinformation and provide scientific resources to help them understand the facts.

SCIENCE-BACKED RESEARCH

These efforts are only successful when supported by extensive, science-backed research. The Beef Checkoff continuously invests in research projects that prove the beef industry’s environmental responsibility.

The Checkoff-funded Beef Sustainability Research program provides the industry with science-validated sustainability indicators that benchmark the industry’s current status and provide a path forward of continuous improvement. With an innovative scientific approach, this program helps create a sustainable beef product for a growing world population while also gaining consumer confidence in beef.

To see a repository of Checkoff-funded beef research, visit beefresearch.org

Frequently Asked Questions

Today’s consumers have a vast array of choices in an extremely competitive protein market. To help make beef the consumer’s first choice, the Beef Checkoff drives beef demand through promotion, research and education.

While beef consumption and demand are both important models used to track success in the industry, they often get confused. Consumption does not reflect consumer perception of beef or beef products in the marketplace, while demand relies on sentiment – the trust and loyalty one has for a product. Regardless of price, demand shows a consumer’s willingness to purchase a product. As such, consumer demand is perhaps the most crucial driver of the beef industry and is the basis of the Beef Checkoff’s ultimate goal – driving demand for beef. Here is a simplified look at the conceptual difference between beef consumption and demand.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Cattle producers Jimmy Taylor, Andy Bishop and Ryan Moorhouse are the new leaders of the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion & Research Board (CBB). This officer team is responsible for guiding the national Beef Checkoff throughout 2023.

Taylor, Bishop and Moorhouse were elected by their fellow Beef Board members during their Winter Meetings, held during the 2023 Cattle Industry Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana. Taylor, the 2022 vice chair, will now serve as the CBB’s chair, while Bishop will transition from his role as the 2022 secretary-treasurer to become the 2023 vice chair. Moorhouse is the newest member of the officer team, taking on Bishop’s former responsibilities as secretary-treasurer.

Chair Jimmy Taylor and his wife Tracy run a commercial Angus herd near Cheyenne, Oklahoma consisting of approximately 600 females on 12,000 acres. Their ranching efforts have earned them the 2011 Certified Angus Beef Commitment to Excellence Award and the 2013 Oklahoma Angus Association Commercial Breeder of the Year. The use of artificial insemination, proper nutrition, genomics and other new technologies play a large role in obtaining the operation’s goal: to create a good eating experience for the consumer. Taylor has also served on several local and state boards.

“As 2023 gets underway, demand for beef continues to be strong, both domestically and internationally,” Taylor said. “However, ongoing drought and economic uncertainty continue to challenge our industry. As the new chair of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, I’m looking forward to working with our dedicated members and contractors to develop plans and initiatives designed to advance our industry and build upon the momentum generated during 2022.”

Vice Chair Andy Bishop and his wife Meagan are raising their four children on their registered Angus seed stock operation, Fairfield Farm, near Cox’s Creek, Kentucky. Bishop began his career teaching agriculture to students and eventually moved into the field of agriculture lending in 2007. Bishop is the former chair of the Kentucky Beef Council and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Young Cattlemen’s Conference. Bishop also served as a member of the Long Range Planning Task Force and as president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Young Producers Council and the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Young Producers group.

Moorhouse grew up on his family ranch, a cow/calf and stocker operation in North Central Texas. After graduating from Texas A & M University, he went to work for Continental Grain Cattle Feeding (now Five Rivers). He is currently the general manager for Hartley Feeders, a Five Rivers Cattle Feeding operation. Moorhouse also operates his own stocker operation back home on part of the family ranch. Moorhouse and his wife, Colette, have two sons and reside in Amarillo, Texas.

“I couldn’t be more pleased to have experienced producer leaders like Jimmy, Andy and Ryan to guide the CBB throughout the next year,” said Greg Hanes, CEO of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. “These gentlemen understand the challenges and opportunities currently facing the beef industry, and each has a unique perspective to share. I’m confident their leadership will help the CBB and the Beef Checkoff achieve new levels of success in 2023.”

To learn more about the Beef Checkoff and its programs, including promotion, research, foreign marketing, industry information, consumer information and safety, visit DrivingDemandForBeef.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

In September 2022, producers from across the U.S. were invited to take the Cattlemen’s Beef Board content survey to share the types of news and stories they would like to see in future issues of The Drive. This complimentary digital and print newsletter shows how producers’ Beef Checkoff dollars drive demand for beef.

By completing the survey, participants were entered to win one of 50 Beef Checkoff Klean Kanteen insulated bottles. Subscribe to The Drive to receive Beef Checkoff updates and to participate in future surveys and sweepstakes.

Congratulations to last year’s winners!

  • Chuck Buckley, Wisconsin
  • Clayton Jardee, Montana
  • Angie Stamm, Nebraska
  • Roy Lensing, Minnesota
  • Terry Murphy, Nebraska
  • Dalton Shryock, Oklahoma
  • Meliss Campbell, Pennsylvania
  • Tandy Baker, Oklahoma
  • Sonia Bachamp, Tennessee
  • Terry Clifton, Indiana
  • Doug Williams, Ohio
  • David Cox, New Mexico
  • Levi Rue, North Dakota
  • Joshua Martin, Oklahoma
  • Rick Trumbull, Nebraska
  • Brian Davis, Pennsylvania
  • Sandy Smith, Oklahoma
  • Jerry Sills, Oklahoma
  • Grace Sprank, Iowa
  • Calvin Guy, Arizona
  • Gerald Fake, Arizona
  • Ronald Frank, Washington
  • Ray Blackstock, Tennessee
  • Leroy Gutierrez, New Mexico
  • Steve Reinhard, Ohio
  • Richard Pickle, Tennessee
  • Jeff Sandhoff, Iowa
  • John Rodriguez, Texas
  • Pam Haley, Ohio
  • Lisa Hurd, Iowa
  • Jim Collins, Alabama
  • Alan Aichholz, Ohio
  • Julie Huber, Kansas
  • Dan Cross, Tennessee
  • Brent Fanin, Virginia
  • Duane Skorczewski, Minnesota
  • Jerry Lawson, Tennessee
  • Kevin Coleman, Iowa
  • Kellie Thomas, Oklahoma
  • Austin Thompson, Minnesota
  • Paula Klindt, Iowa
  • Reed Abernathy, Oklahoma
  • Becky Hollaway, New Mexico
  • Jennifer Carrico, Iowa
  • Jordan Billingsley, Oklahoma
  • Barry Magnuson, Minnesota
  • Kevin Hufftaker, Tennessee
  • Reva Thompson, Idaho
  • Minos Scarabin, Louisiana
  • Johnny Freeman, Oklahoma

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

In honor of Veteran’s Day, the Cattlemen’s Beef Board would like to thank veterans for serving our country and helping to preserve our freedom. One hero we would like to recognize is Cattlemen’s Beef Board member Steve Hobbs from Great Falls, Montana. Steve joined the Navy in 1979 and served as a third-class petty officer. He began his journey working in the engine room of a destroyer ship and then trained as a Navy diver.

“I am blessed to experience the time I was at sea. At the time, I spent over a thousand days at sea and saw some of the most amazing storms, sunrises and sunsets, lived and worked with amazing men, had moments of sheer terror and days of exhaustion,” Hobbs said. “My service has never left me and has changed me for the better and the worst.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Today, more than ever before, consumers care about where their food comes from. They want to know about its environmental impact. They worry about whether livestock animals are treated humanely. They want to know if their food is nutritious and safe to eat. And they will change their eating – and purchasing – habits based on all those factors.

As co-chair of the beef checkoff’s Consumer Trust Committee, I’ve seen and heard these consumer concerns firsthand. The topic of sustainability is changing how all industries do business and communicate with their customers, and the beef industry is no exception. It can be difficult for us as producers to wrap our heads around the fact that most consumers never visit a beef ranch in person. They don’t always see the care we put into raising beef. While we have faith in the wholesomeness of our product and how we raise it, telling our story to consumers has never been more important. But, before we can do that, we must know what we’re facing.

That’s why, in the spring of 2021, the beef checkoff conducted extensive market research to fully understand consumer perceptions of how beef producers care for the land and what key topics would resonate most with that audience.
Here’s what we found out:

  • About 50% of consumers say they care about beef’s impact on the land and environment. However, they still cite taste, safety, appearance and price as more important considerations when making meal choices.
  • Almost half of consumers have a positive perception of beef production. Unfortunately, they still perceive the beef industry to be less sustainable than other food industries.
  • Animal welfare, by far, was the most important topic to address with consumers when it comes to beef and how cattle are raised.

After taking those survey results into consideration, Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. launched a beef checkoff-funded campaign in 2021 called “Rethink the Ranch.” This campaign introduced the public to beef producers who make science-driven decisions that will keep their herds, environment and businesses healthy enough to pass on to the next generation. The campaign’s goal was to increase consumer confidence in beef and beef production by inviting consumers to learn more about how beef producers care for the land, their animals and their local communities.

Rethink the Ranch came to life across YouTube, social media platforms, influencer efforts, radio, ConnectTV and more. Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner developed and disseminated a variety of content, showing how dedicated beef producers are to a vital and reliable industry:

  • A special Rethink the Ranch webpage featured an interactive map of all 50 U.S. states, each complete with state-specific beef production stories told through the lens of beef families.
  • Short video advertisements on YouTube and ConnectTV showed how beef producers have been doing their part to lower emissions and find more efficiencies. Examples include: What Goes Around, Better Than Ever, We See Beef and A Prosperous Future for Everyone.
  • Educational digital and radio ads about how beef producers implement land-saving, wildlife-preserving and award-winning environmental efforts hit social media and the web. These ads were also featured on ESPN networks (ESPN2, SEC and ESPNU) as well as on Spotify and Sirius XM.

These efforts actively engaged consumers by providing in-depth content and rancher stories. Nearly 97 million people saw Rethink the Ranch content, and its videos were viewed almost 60 million times. On social media platforms, content generated approximately 67,000 comments, reactions and shares. The Rethink the Ranch page on Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. website was viewed more than 80,000 times, and the campaign’s audio ads were heard nearly 16 million times. Obviously, this campaign reached a lot of people with the truth about how responsibly beef is raised.

Building off of last year’s success, a second campaign titled “Raised & Grown” launched this past spring. This campaign addresses the very real concerns consumers have about how cattle are raised. It focuses on increasing consumer awareness of how beef farmers and ranchers across the U.S. raise beef safely, humanely and sustainably. Some of the producers that the campaign spotlights include Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP) recipients and Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) award winners. It’s all part of the checkoff’s ongoing efforts to tell beef’s real story to the many people who want to feel better about their food choices.

“Sustainability” and “animal welfare” are just words. We need to understand they aren’t concepts that are going away soon, nor should they. They’ve been an integral element of our cattle operations for generations. Back in the old days, we called them “stewardship” and “animal husbandry.” Regardless, it’s important we all do our best to minimize our environmental impact. The entire beef industry needs to share the stories of our successes.

As we head into the second half of 2022, the Consumer Trust Committee and beef checkoff contractors are working to communicate the dedication of beef producers. We need to keep fulfilling consumer expectations of delicious, and yes, sustainable, beef.

Learn more about how Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. is communicating responsible beef production practices at, www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/raising-beef