Farmers, ranchers have beef with Polis
Gov. Jared Polis has rattled some farmers and ranchers with his suggestion that Colorado help its agriculture industry get a foothold in the burgeoning plantbased meat alternative market.
Beef is big business in Colorado. It’s the state’s largest export, totaling nearly $4 billion. So the mere idea that the state could put resources toward the competition has upset industry leaders. What’s more, it’s not a practical idea, some experts say.
Polis first suggested the state’s agriculture department explore the meatless market during a private meeting last month with staff members at a new research lab in Broomfield, which was reported by ColoradoPolitics.com.
Many farmers — already burdened by President Donald Trump’s trade policies — viewed
Polis’ comments as out of touch and uninformed — another politician thinking they know what’s best for rural America.
“What we can’t and shouldn’t change is that Colorado is a very unique place for beef production,” said Terry R. Fankhauser, vice president of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. “To have a governor make any sort of reference that we shouldn’t embrace and support that is problematic.”
However, Polis and Agriculture Commissioner Kate Greenberg in public appearances at the state fair in Pueblo stressed that Colorado will remain in the cattle business.
“Impossible Foods is interested in replacing meat; the governor is not,” Greenberg said in an interview with The Denver Post, referring to the company that makes Burger King’s new meatless Whopper. The fast-food burger imposter inspired Polis’ comments.
The dustup encompasses several policy debates, including the future of farming, the role of government in the marketplace and climatechange.
“Colorado has a rich history of innovative producers, ranchers and food startups, so the discussion is relevant and timely,” Dawn Thilmany, a professor at Colorado State University, wrote in an email. “What is most important to remember is that this is not an ‘either-or’ choice, and it is clear the state can lead in cattle and beef, but also, the development of plantbased alternatives.”
For many of Colorado’s legacy farmers, the discussion is personal. They see themselves as part of Colorado’s history. No other industry has defined Colorado’s economy for as long as agriculture — especially cattle.
“It helped put Colorado on the map,” Fankhauser said. “Iowa is the Corn Belt. We live in the Cattle Belt.”
The state’s $5 billion agriculture industry remains critical today, and cattle make up about 75% of total farm revenues, Thilmany said.
The other 25% is made up of specialty crops such as millet, oats, peaches and oil-producing sunflowers.
This diversity tells Thilmany that Colorado can capitalize on “mature food markets as well as emerging, consumer-driven products.”
Don Brown, a longtime Colorado beef producer, farmer and agriculture commissioner in the Hickenlooper administration, agrees that farmers and ranchers are always looking for new opportunities to increase their profits.
But when it comes to growing the ingredients that make up the Impossible Burger, such as soybeans and coconut oil, Colorado would start at a deficit, Brown said.
Soybeans don’t grow well in Colorado, particularly in areas that don’t have irrigation and must rely on rainfall. About 75% of Colorado’s farmland is considered dry and is not irrigated. And, he added: “I damn sure know we’re short on coconut trees.”
Two other ingredients, potatoes and sunflower oil, are likely Colorado’s best hopes. However, it’s unclear whether the state has the sort of infrastructure needed to process and transport the products.
Jayson Lusk, an agriculture economist, said it’s tough to convince farmers to make a major shift in their production given the infancy of the market.
“I do think it’s a bit of trend, but it’s starting from a fairly low base. The question is how big will the market be. It’s hard to say yet,” he said. “The net impact on most agriculture is potentially negative.”
Not all farmers are down on Polis’ comments.
Scott Washkowiak, who owns a small farm in Palisade, said he is proud of the governor. Washkowiak said going meatless isn’t just about making money, but about protecting the environment.
Advocates for plantbased diets argue that livestock — especially cows — are an inefficient food source and contribute to climate change by emitting methane from their waste.
“In reality, we all have to make a sacrifice if we want to change and curb global warming in our lives,” he said, adding that he hopes the state can be a leader in developing hemp protein as a meat alternative.
“We really have to rethink everything,” he said.
For now, the state will continue to do what it has always done, agriculture commissioner Greenberg said, promoting Colorado products both domestically and abroad through marketing and trade missions.
“We are doing what we can do to support our producers during tough times and looking to the future,” she said. “We’re going to continue to look at all emerging markets and do whatever we can to make sure our farmers and ranchers can take advantage of them.”