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Blog Post 4: Reflecting on the environmental geography

The process to process ground beef or just the production of meat has a negative impact to the environment for multiple of reasons. Deforestation for agriculture is in South America, but since raising meat takes large quantities of feed, the Midwest is losing its native prairies and grasslands for farming. Which leads to another negative impact of the environment, changing the fields to agriculture fields releases carbon pollution into the air. The production of meat affects climate change when the manure decomposes it releases emissions including methane, ammonia, and carbon dioxide into the environment. The crop fields are treated with toxic chemicals and fertilizers with a higher quantity than the farmers use on plants letting all the excess to go into the surrounding waterways. 

One action that can be taken at a global scale to reduce the environmental impact associated with the production of meat is to reduce enteric methane emissions. By using an enteric methane inhibitor that is an inhibitor that are feed additives that prevent the formation of methane in the gut. According to an article from World Resources Institute, Preliminary studies show that these additives can reduce enteric methane by 20% to 98% without adverse effects on animal health or productivity. Also, a developing method to breed animals could be another solution to reduced emissions. 

One action that can be taken at a local scale to reduce the environmental impact associated with the production of meat is to engage with suppliers to reduce emissions across beef supply chains. Companies should find an approach to collaborate with their suppliers to help them adopt the types of productions. There is a scope 3 emission method that could be a good approach. First, average-data method, which all emissions data are based on secondary "industry-average" process data. Second, hybrid method, which emissions data are a combination of supplier-specific data with gaps filled by average data. Third, supplier-specific method, which all emissions data are specific to the supplier's products and production methods. 


https://www.cleanwateraction.org/features/meat-industry-%E2%80%93-environmental-issues-solutions

https://www.wri.org/insights/opportunities-reduce-emissions-beef-production

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