Kim Stackhouse-Lawson serves as the director of sustainability for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. She recently has taken on additional responsibility looking at global sustainability for the beef industry. Recently she spoke at the Noble Foundation's Texoma Cattlemen’s Conference in Ardmore. Radio Oklahoma Network Farm Director Ron Hays caught up with Lawson at the conference.
“We are certainly the most efficient and most sustainable industry in the global sphere, so being able to step up there and take a leadership role and educate other countries on the good things that we are doing and help them drive toward their goals of more sustainable beef really sets us apart and allows us to lead in a very meaningful way,” Lawson said.
In comparing protein sources, the beef industry often comes under fire. Lawson said that criticism is unfounded as research funded by the beef checkoff in 2010 shows a different story. She said in five years the U.S. beef industry has been able to improve overall sustainability by five percent. In looking at environmental and social sustainability, she said the U.S. has improved seven percent. Farmers have also been able to reduce their emissions or pollution in water by 10 percent, along with reducing energy, greenhouse gas emissions and water use.
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