Grazing Livestock Help Sequester Carbon 

The letter from Christine Renaud, “Livestock a major cause of climate change,” (Letters, April 9), seems to confuse the worst impacts of large scale feedlot operations with livestock farming in the County, which is usually pasture based.

Many studies have shown that when livestock is raised on pasture, especially well managed grassland, more carbon is sequestered than is emitted.

For example, Edward Bork, PhD, director of the Rangeland Research Institute, University of Alberta, said after undertaking and reviewing many studies, “because their grazing contributes to the concentration of carbon in the soil – a helpful process – livestock can be a tool to help reduce atmospheric carbon and thus mitigate climate change.”

Dr. Bork continues, “It’s a red herring to claim that cattle are destroying the planet and ignores the fact that these grasslands evolved with grazing – and even depend on it to exist. Discussions of cattle and climate change should not talk solely about methane but should also include a full accounting of the role livestock play in storing carbon in the soil as well as in enhancing biodiversity.”

Livestock grazing often makes the best use of resources available. If we look around the County, most livestock production is not on land suitable for crop production. Much of the grazing land in the County has soil that is either too thin or too rocky to be suitable for growing crops. Grazing land in the County often is at least partially treed and, if the soil happened to be suitable for crops, would need to be cleared before plowing could begin. Elsewhere in the world, most livestock are raised on similar land or in areas that are too steep or too dry to raise crops.

I could add many pages of data but I will end by stating that I am proud that the County has an active farming population and I hope that other residents are able to familiarize themselves with the efforts of the livestock farmers to make good use of the resources available to raise nutritious food.

Bob Burkinshaw, Morrison Point/Black River

Beef cattle, Grazing, and Grassland 

I was concerned to read Ms. Renaud’s letter last week in response to that from Angus Ross, “Climate Consults, (Letters, March 19), outlining the work of the County’s Climate Action Plan Working Group. As a local farmer committed to sustainable practices, I appreciate and support the municipality’s efforts to protect the environment and improve sustainability.

That said, as someone deeply familiar with the sustainability work of Canadian beef farmers, I wanted to highlight a few important points about agricultural land use and the real benefits of having cattle on the landscape — especially here in Canada and Prince Edward County.

Agricultural lands vary widely in their ability to support crops. Much of the land used for raising beef cattle in Canada is not arable; factors like soil quality, topography, and moisture levels make it unsuitable for crop production. It is therefore quite amazing we can achieve 40 percent of our protein needs and 18 percent of our calories globally from converting grass-based biomes – which do not contribute to human nutrition – and upcycling them into meat and dairy.

The grass-based systems in which Canadian beef cattle spend most of their lives are also where you’ll find the majority of one of our planet’s most endangered ecosystems – the temperate native grasslands – as well as pastures and hayfields that are home to many birds, bees, insects and wildlife. In fact, beef farmers in Canada care for over 52 million acres of grassland ecosystem, preserving it from being converted for crop production.

Preserving grasslands is vital for both Canada’s ability to manage climate change as well as support wildlife. Nature United recently identified preserving native grasslands as the single largest opportunity for natural climate solutions in Canada. The grasslands and pastures upon which beef cattle are raised store an amazing 1.9 billion tonnes of carbon in their soil and they also provide natural habitat that supports biodiversity including providing 74 percent of the land wildlife use to raise their young. When land is converted into growing crops, an astonishing 30 – 50 percent of the soil’s organic carbon is released (Bork, 2013).

High quality protein from grass, protecting endangered ecosystems and their wildlife, keeping stored carbon in the ground – all this because of grazing cattle on the Canadian landscape. 

I encourage everyone to watch the short documentary, Guardians of the Grasslands, which explores the critical role cattle play in maintaining healthy grasslands. In the coming weeks, the Quinte Museum of Natural History will also offer an opportunity to learn more about land stewardship — and visitors can play the Guardians of the Grasslands game to try rotational grazing and earn points for carbon storage and wildlife conservation.

Finally, and most importantly, as municipalities implement their Climate Action Plans, I urge them to connect with local farmers and agricultural organizations for ideas. There are many creative, practical ways we can work together to achieve our climate goals.

Lynn Leavitt, East Lake