Giving Compass' Take:

• Researcher Joe Craine has been studying grass-fed cattle and found that they may be eating grass that has higher CO2 levels due to the levels in the atmosphere. 

• How can cattle farmers address this issue if more people already believe that grass-fed cattle is healthier?

• Read about the dilemma for meat eaters who want to find ethical and affordable meat sources. 

Many beef consumers believe grass-fed steaks are healthier to eat and healthier for the environment. But if the idea that more grass equals better steaks is true, there’s trouble on the prairie that could affect cattle nutrition and the already-high price of the valued cuts of meat.

Researcher Joe Craine has found a trend in the nutritional quality of grasses that grass-fed cattle (and young cattle destined for grain-heavy feedlots) are eating. Since the mid-90s, levels of crude protein in the plants, which cattle need to grow, have dropped by nearly 20 percent.

“If we were still back at the forage quality that we would’ve had 25 years ago, no less 100 years ago, our animals would be gaining a lot more weight,” Craine says.

Craine thinks part of the problem may be related to moving cattle to feedlots. When cattle are taken from the prairie, their manure, which delivers nutrients into the soil, is removed.

But he has a sneaking suspicion that rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are contributing as well. Increased CO2 levels have been linked to fewer nutrients in plants like rice, wheat and potatoes.

Read the full article about how less nutritious grass is affecting the beef industry by Alex Smith at Harvest Public Media.