That brings us to our second solution, which will be unpopular with many: switching to grain-fed rather than grass-fed beef. It needs much less land, which is what we’re concerned about when it comes to deforestation.43 One important conflict that comes up here – and will come up later when we think about other types of meat – is that the goals of animal welfare and environmental impact are not always aligned. Unfortunately, the environmentally friendly or ‘efficient’ choice is often one that is worse for the animal. How you balance these priorities is up to you.
