Some of Sarah Klopatek’s first recollections of being connected to science and the land was at the age of five, helping her parents, who were soil scientists, collect soil samples from U.S. rangeland.
“They had research projects and field work every summer out in native grasslands and took me along,” says Klopatek, who is today the chief livestock scientist for JBS. “They would set up a lean-to as a shelter on the pasture, and my babysitter was a border collie wearing a bell, so they could keep track of where I was.”
While she had that early connection to the land, Klopatek’s understanding of agriculture and livestock production was later also influenced by high school teachers, and school curriculums and popular literature of the day.
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“So I was hearing the same often negative and often wrong messages as everyone else. We look at consumers today and often say they don’t understand agriculture, but it’s really not their fault. They only know what they’ve been told. Growing up I was one of them, so I know where they are coming from.”
Klopatek says it was only when she got to university and began studying animal science that she began to get the facts, and started to question many of the perceptions she had learned.
“That was the start of my beef sustainability journey. In my career I have been around cattle, raised cattle, worked in all areas from AI to the kill floor, so I have some understanding of what the industry is about.”
Today, with a PhD in animal science and as a researcher for the largest meat processing company in the world, she studies livestock sustainability, net zero initiatives and animal welfare issues. She was recently in Calgary speaking to attendees at the 10th annual general meeting of the Canadian Round Table for Sustainable Beef (CRSB).
“One of the important messages I like to share is that myopia (short sightedness) is the death of sustainability. We can’t just look at one thing like carbon emissions or carbon sequestration. If you look at one thing and push that button, it spider-webs into 10 other things that are also affected. So we have to look at not just carbon but every molecule and a whole range of other factors that all contribute to sustainability.
“There is so much information out there that includes a lot of misinformation that needs to be challenged. But I am encouraged, I have hope. I see people of my generation, the millennials, young agricultural researchers, scientists and beef producers who are getting the correct message out.”
During her visit to Alberta, Klopatek said she was excited to visit Wray Ranches just north of Calgary. The fourth-generation family ranch focuses on proper livestock management, pasture and forage management, and understands of the importance of biodiversity.
“It is good to see a succession plan in place, with a younger generation, Tim Wray, looking to take over. It is a progressive ranch, asking questions and always looking and willing to try new ideas that benefit animal production and health, as well as soil health. They’re looking at the whole system.
“And if they look after animal health, plant health and soil health, that leads to a farming system with resilience. And with climate change and variable weather conditions, if you have resiliency that leads to profitability. And resilience also leads to sustainability.”
But it doesn’t stop there, she says. A resilient and sustainable agriculture sector builds stronger communities, with profitable businesses, schools and other services.
“So when we talk about sustainability, it is important to look at the big picture,” she says.
Klopatek says the Canadian beef industry has done an excellent job of reducing its environmental footprint over the years, but it is an ongoing process. Research shows the beef industry, by using tools such as improved livestock genetics, improved nutrition and improved livestock and resource management, has reduced its carbon footprint by about 15 per cent over the past 10 years.
In her presentation to the CRSB annual meeting she said Canada is leading the world in terms of efficient beef production according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
FAO research shows Canada producing between 400 to 450 kg of beef per animal, compared to some parts of the world that only produce 50 to 100 kg of beef per animal. The less efficient beef production systems result in a much higher environmental footprint.
As the growth in population continues there is also a challenge to the livestock sector to produce more meat to feed the world. Klopatek again pointed to a United Nations FAO forecast from several years ago that showed between 2005 and 2050 — a 45-year span — global beef demand would increase by 66 per cent, pork by 43 per cent, poultry by 121 per cent, eggs by 65 per cent, and sheep and lamb products by 92 per cent. For beef in particular that is an increase from producing about 64 million tonnes of beef in 2005 to producing 106 million tonnes of beef by 2050.
So, the challenge is to produce more meat, while at the same time reducing the industry’s environmental footprint.
“Canadian and North American beef producers are doing a good job now, but there is always room for improvement. The fact is we don’t know what the top is or the final objective — we don’t know what we don’t know. Forty years ago, did we think we would have the beef reproduction rates we have today? Did we think we would have the livestock genetics we have today? Did we think we could reduce GHG emissions the way we have today? Forty years ago, we didn’t know or think much about GHG emissions.
“So the industry has learned and adapted along the way, producing a high-quality meat product — beef is a wonderful eating experience. And it will continue to make progress in marbling and the dressing percentage, and use improved genetics and nutrition and management to get more calves on the ground. But we don’t know what changes are ahead. What we consider sustainable today may not be considered sustainable in the future. Sustainability is a journey and not a destination.”
As she plans a research project asking producers how they describe sustainability, Klopatek says it is important for the agriculture industry and livestock producers to use all the tools and technology they can to improve production efficiency while at the same time minimizing the environmental effect.
“Simple solutions like proposing to eliminate beef production will not solve wicked problems such as climate change, food security and our economic well-being. We need to continue to reduce GHG emissions, but to ensure sustainability in our food systems we must seek balance, evaluate trade-offs, and think holistically.”
You can follow Sarah Klopatek on X at @drbeefbabe.
