Where's the (eco) beef? If you're not a vegetarian but you're interested in hosting a more eco-friendly BBQ, it can be difficult to determine what's best. There's organic. Grass fed. Humane. Grass finished. Free range and foraged. Animal Welfare approved. Food Alliance Certified. And of course, conventional hormone-injected antibiotic-laden animal-protein-fed caged and mistreated meat.

Here's what it all means.

USDA Certified Organic

The animal will be fed 100% organic grass, corn, and grain. That means it's not necessarily good for you (grass is cattle's natural diet). Also, the rules about confinement are pretty loose. However, growth hormone is banned and antibiotics are only used on sick animals.

USDA Certified Grass Fed

The animal may or may not eat grass for its entire life - it only has to be "grass finished". As for humane treatment and access to pasture, the rules are just as vague as they are for organic certification. It's basically up to the ethics of the individual supplier.

American Grassfed Association

To meet this certification, the cattle are fed 100% grass only. This is ideal for them as grass is their natural diet. It's better for you as the proper fat ratio will be achieved (including the super-healthy conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA). The cattle must be allowed to spend the majority of their time at pasture. The same rules for antibiotics and growth hormone required of Organic and Certified Grass Fed apply to American Grassfed. Animal welfare rules are undefined, however (as with the above two). Still, the pasture requirement is the best of the three, and the way they are raised is more sustainable.

Animal Welfare Approved

The diet may be any combination of grass, corn and grain - and it doesn't have to be organic. It seems strange since this certification is supposed to be about the animal's welfare, and cattle raised on corn tend to be very sickly. They're not allowed to be given hormones or antibiotics (unless sick). There rules for handling and slaughter are very specific, however. Not a good bet for your health or eco-concern.

Certified Humane Raised and Handled

Virtually the same as the Animal Welfare Approved, although pasture is not required at all. Not a good bet for your health or eco-concern.

Food Alliance Certification

Avoid this one at all costs. Animals may be fed grass, corn, grain, and animal protein. Though they do spend the majority of their lives at pasture, and are not allowed to be given growth hormone, the health issue is a big one, both for you and the cattle.

Conventional

Traditional beef is produced in a brutally inhumane, environmentally toxic, and ultimately unhealthy factory system. Based upon all available evidence, a landmark Pew study recently found that the factory farming model for beef production is simply not sustainable. Even if you have next to zero interest in "going green", and could care less about your vegetarian niece's impassioned dinner time rants, traditional beef is unacceptable by any standards. It's not good for the planet, the workers, the animals, or you. Period.

Best choice: American Grassfed Association - it meets all environmental, health and animal concerns. There is room for improvement, but on balance it is your best choice if you enjoy beef but want to green your lifestyle.

Places to buy: your local butcher who is certified, an online retailer or a meat CSA are the smartest choices.

Source: Green Guide Summer 2008 Solvie Karlstrom

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