"There are half as many farmers and ranchers today feeding a population that has more than doubled."

I would like to highlight "The Cattleman's Stewardship Review: Connecting Our Vision and Values" that has just come to my attention. It is a report that was funded by Beef Checkoff money and sponsored by the Cattleman's Beef Board and the National Cattleman's Beef Association. It discusses the beef industry's influence on communities, the economy, public health and the environment, and it turns out it's pretty interesting!

The world population is currently at 6.8 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, while there are only 742,000 farmers (USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture). According to the the review, there are half as many farmers and ranchers today feeding a population that has more than doubled.

The U.S. produces 20 percent of the world's beef while raising 7 percent of the world's cattle and they do this in a way to ensure quality. The report states, "it is estimated that farmer- and rancher-funded Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) programs influence the handling and management of more than 90 percent of the feedyard cattle raised in the U.S. today. Due to these practices, the 2005 National Beef Tenderness Survey found an 18 percent overall improvement in tenderness since 1999 and three-in-four consumers say that they have a positive beef eating experience."

Another key accomplishment cited in the review is the cattleman's investment in safety. The U.S. cattle rancher and farmer invested nearly $30 million in safety efforts since 1993 and the whole beef industry invests $550 million annually to beef safety efforts. "Due in part to these efforts and others, there has been a significant reduction in foodborne illnesses, including reducing E. coli O157:H7 incidence to help meet the 'Healthy People 2010' goal of no more than one case per 100,000 people."

America's farmers and ranchers are extremely innovative. The review highlights this concept through "a Washington State University study, where each pound of beef raised in 2007 compared to 1977 uses 20 percent less feed, 30 percent less land, 14 percent less water and 9 percent less fossil fuel energy." The drive and creativity of those farmers and ranchers has lowered the carbon footprint of producing a pound of beef by 18 percent; pretty good for a bunch of cowboys huh?

In 2002 the USDA studied the major use of land in the United States. According to that survey about 587 million acres acres of U.S. land, which isn't suitable for raising other food, is used for livestock grazing. Forest-use land is 29 percent of land use in the U.S; grassland, pasture land and range land uses 26 percent; cropland comprises 20 percent; special uses takes up 13 percent; and miscellaneous land uses 10 percent. Surprising to this blogger is that urban land only makes up 3 percent of land use in the United States. I honestly thought this number would be higher considering the startling rate at which we, the farming and ranching community, lose land to developers.

Now we all know that the farming and ranching lifestyle is one to be embraced and treasured, but did you know the nearly one-half of cattlemen and women volunteer with a youth organization (that's 47 percent) and more than one-third (35 percent) donate their time to other civic organizations? Compare that to the national average of only 7 percent and I think it's safe to say that farmers and ranchers most definitely give back to their community. Over 84 percent of farmers and ranchers also contribute to their church.

If that wasn't evidence enough of a community with a giving spirit here are some more statistics: "nearly one-fourth of U.S. cattlemen and women have served in the military" which is significantly higher than the national average of only 14 percent. Also, 94 percent of cattlemen and women vote in "national, state and local elections; comparatively, only 64 percent of the general population votes. One-half of cattlemen and women have run for an elected office and 81 percent have been elected to serve."

Perhaps the next time someone says something derogatory towards farming or ranching you can quote some of these statistics. You can find out more by downloading a copy of "The Cattleman's Stewardship Review: Connecting Our Vision and Values" or watch stakeholder interviews discussing the beef industry's accomplishments by visiting Explore Beef.