One third of the world’s carbon tamed by grass

Jan 03, 2023

Grasslands might not capture the imagination of the public like the Rocky Mountains, the lakes of Manitoba or the rugged terrain of the Canadian Shield but efforts are underway to acknowledge the native prairie’s role in preventing climate change.

“Climate change is happening and that’s because of carbon in the atmosphere,” said Cameron Carlyle, associate professor of rangeland ecology at the University of Alberta. “Globally, rangelands hold 30 percent of soil carbon.”

But outside of conservation easements, which seek to protect diminishing rangelands, a formula to award carbon credits to those who steward the land to maintain that naturally stored carbon and even enhance that ability of the soil to absorb it, remains elusive.

Chad Macpherson, general manager of the Saskatchewan Stock Growers (SSG), said there are efforts to address the issue, notably a Canadian Forage and Grassland Association program.

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Video: What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?

?? The Multi-Plant System Processing 20 Million Hogs Annually in the Midwest JBS USA operates multiple large-scale pork processing facilities across the Midwest, including major plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Combined, these facilities have the capacity to process approximately 20 million hogs annually.

Each plant operates high-speed automated slaughter systems capable of processing up to 20,000 head per day, followed by fabrication lines that break carcasses into primals, sub-primals, and case-ready retail products.

Hog procurement is coordinated through electronic marketing platforms that connect regional contract finishing operations and independent producers to plant demand schedules. This digital procurement system allows for steady supply flow and scheduling efficiency across multiple facilities.

Processing plants incorporate comprehensive food safety systems, including pathogen intervention technologies, rapid chilling processes, and integrated cold-chain management. USDA inspection is embedded throughout the harvest and fabrication stages to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity. Finished pork products — from bulk primals to retail-ready packaged cuts — are distributed through coordinated logistics networks serving domestic and export markets.