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Sep. 6, 2023 by Greg Henderson, Drovers
There's some truth to that broad statement, but sometimes you just have to call B.S. when you see it. Last week I learned that I'm a 12-percenter, and if you're a Drovers reader you're probably a 12-percenter, too. The 12-percenters are a demographic identified by researchers at Tulane University's School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine, which conducted a study to identify the demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral correlates of disproportionate beef consumption in the United States. Us 12-percenters were singled out as a problem. To view the study click here. "Concern for the environment when making dietary choices has grown as the contribution of the food sector to global greenhouse gas emissions becomes more widely known," the authors wrote. "Understanding the correlates of beef eating could assist in the targeting of campaigns to reduce the consumption of high-impact foods." Beef, of course, is one of those "high-impact" foods. That's an argument in itself, and one that has been a target of significant misinformation. (More on that later.) Back to us 12-percenters. The Tulane researchers concluded that half of the beef eaten in the U.S. daily is consumed by 12% of the population, with us old men between the ages of 50-and-65 eating a "disproportionate" amount. That's a stunning claim, if true. But it just doesn't pass the smell test - or, in this case, a calculator test. The U.S. population is estimated at 334 million in 2023, which means there are roughly 40 million of us 12-percenters. Last year beef production was estimated at 28 billion pounds. So, half of that, 14 billion pounds is eaten by 40 million people? That's 350 pounds per year for the 12%, nearly a pound per day. That's a quarter-pounder for breakfast, a quarter-pounder for lunch, and an eight-ounce steak for dinner. Every day! Preposterous! When reviewing claims such as the 12%, we're often told to follow the money. Well... Tulane's research was supported in part by a grant from the Center for Biological Diversity, a non-profit conservation group. That's not to suggest anything improper, but worth noting the Center for Biological Diversity has urged the EPA to "regulate factory farms." Let's revisit the issue of "high-impact" foods. In the introduction to the study, the Tulane researchers said, "Meat, particularly from ruminant animals, is at the top of the list of impactful foods. Livestock alone accounts for 14% of global GHGE." In the context of this study that quote is an apples and oranges comparison. The authors clearly identify the U.S. as their research target, yet they cite a 10-year-old study from the U.N. that assigns 14% of global GHG emissions to livestock. A study, you might recall, that was challenged by a prominent U.S. researcher. Tweet |
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