Health benefits
• Pasture-fed beef has an increased ratio of PUFA to SFA
• Pasture-fed beef has an improved ratio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids (ratio of 3 considered healthy)
• Pasture-fed beef contains a higher concentration of n-3 fatty acids
• Pasture-fed beef contains more Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) than conventional beef (cancer-protecting)
• Pasture-fed beef contains more antioxidants including Vitamin E, beta-carotene and flavanoids (health-promoting/cancer-fighting)
• Pasture-feeding can extend the shelf-life of beef
Environmental Benefits
• Land use change from arable to mixed arable/livestock has the carbon sequestration potential of 1 tonne of carbon (removing 3.5 tonnes of atmospheric CO2) per ha per year (IPCC 2006)
• Low-input pasture-fed systems (with clover) have the potential to greatly reduce reliance on artificial fertilisers (and reduce resource depletion of non-renewable resources e.g. potassium and phosphorus)
• Elimination or the significant reduction of chemical Nitrogen fertilizer use reduces the risk of acidification of soils.
• Land use change from arable to mixed arable/livestock has the potential to reverse soil erosion and degradation
• Land use change from arable to mixed arable/livestock has the potential to improve water infiltration in soils, and thereby reduce the effects of drought
• Low-input pasture-fed systems have a significantly lower carbon footprint (use less fossil fuel) than intensive systems
• Land use change from arable to mixed arable/livestock has the potential to reduce emissions of nitrous oxide (NO2 has GWP of 298)
• Low-input pasture-fed systems reduce reliance on soya protein (a significant component of compound feeds). Land use change from native tropical forest to soya, beef and palm oil production accounts for 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions.