Plate Nº 72 · recorded October 9, 2026
Earth & ClimateReported finding
Beef Industry Knew of Livestock's Climate Role by 1989, Study Finds
A study of 154 internal documents found the National Cattlemen's Association understood livestock methane emissions by 1989 but spent the next decade protecting consumer demand through public relations.
By Nathan Brooks3 min read601 words
In brief
- Study published Oct. 7, 2026 in PLOS Climate by researchers at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School
- The National Cattlemen's Association knew by 1989 that cattle contributed to global warming, according to internal records
- Researchers analyzed 154 internal documents, 123 dated between 1986 and 1996
- The association spent $100,000 on Earth Day 1990 newspaper ads reaching an estimated 20 million people
- An industry-sponsored estimate put U.S. beef cattle at 0.5% of global methane emissions; researchers found the figure difficult to reproduce
A leading U.S. beef industry trade association knew by 1989 that cattle contributed to global warming, but spent the next seven years protecting consumer demand through public relations rather than addressing methane emissions, according to a study published Oct. 7, 2026 in the journal PLOS Climate.
Researchers at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science analyzed 154 internal organizational documents to trace how the National Cattlemen's Association responded to emerging climate science between 1986 and 1996.
What did the study examine?
The researchers collected the documents from the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming. Of the 154 files, 123 carry dates between 1986 and 1996. They supplemented the archive with news coverage, government reports, and other public records.
Jennifer Jacquet, a professor of environmental science and policy at the Rosenstiel School, and Loredana Loy, a postdoctoral researcher at the same school, led the analysis.
How did the trade association respond to climate science?
In February 1989, an association representative attended a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency workshop on livestock methane emissions. The resulting EPA report identified several mitigation options, including changes to feeding practices, feed additives, and manure management.
Later that year, the association developed an environmental strategic plan. The plan included countering criticism of the cattle industry, commissioning papers from scientific and technical experts, and promoting a positive environmental image.
"The records show that the trade association understood the issue and knew that options to reduce methane emissions existed," Jacquet said. "Its response focused on shaping what people heard about beef and global warming and countering the idea that eating less beef could help."
What communications strategies did the group use?
Jacquet and Loy documented five recurring approaches:
- Monitoring environmental groups and news coverage
- Hiring academic experts to produce reports and serve as spokespeople
- Distributing talking points that minimized cattle's contribution to global warming
- Challenging the credibility of advocates promoting dietary change
- Promoting cattle producers as environmental stewards through advertisements and outreach materials
For Earth Day in 1990, the association spent $100,000 on full-page newspaper advertisements that reached an estimated 20 million people, according to the records.
What claims did the industry promote about methane?
One widely circulated industry-sponsored estimate placed U.S. beef cattle's contribution at just 0.5% of global methane emissions. The researchers found the figure difficult to reproduce. It measured U.S. cattle against worldwide emissions from human activities and natural sources, which made the U.S. contribution appear small.
Did the industry pursue emissions reductions?
Some commissioned reports mentioned ways to reduce methane through changes in feeding. Yet the researchers found no evidence in the association's own materials that it researched or promoted practices to address emissions.
The authors caution that the archive does not contain all internal records. Their findings also do not establish whether individual ranchers or companies independently pursued emissions reductions.
What do the authors conclude?
The study's timeframe ends with the association's transition into the National Cattlemen's Beef Association in 1996. Jacquet said the historical record parallels findings from research on fossil fuel interests, with one notable distinction: a sustained focus on opposing voluntary dietary change.
"This history expands our understanding of how industries responded to early climate science," Jacquet said. "The trade association's main concern was the possibility that consumers would change what they ate. That helps explain why its response centered on public messaging."
The full study, "Global warming and the National Cattlemen's Association 1986–1996," appears in PLOS Climate and carries the DOI 10.1371/journal.pclm.0001061.
via Phys.org Biology (Source)