Ecological cattle breeding: a bet on quality, compromise and animal welfare

What is an ecological cattle breeding?

An ecological cattle breeding is based on a traditional farming production which keeps conservative land techniques and obtains high sensorial and nutritional quality food, in respect of environment and without using any chemical or growing promoters.

Why eating ecological meat?

> Because of health and diet safety

•  The complete transability of the meat, the lack of designer chemical waste ( antibiotics, hormones or drugs) and an organic feeding just based on ecological products.

•  Higher in the ‘good cardiac' fats - omega-3 and CLA (prevent breast cancer, diabetes and other ailments) and more vitamins E, A and D that boost resistance to disease .

> Because of product quality

•  Strong flavour, intense pink colour and organoleptic features.

> Because of animal welfare

•  Open grazing, meaning the bred and fed in grasslands of natural pasture, allows a correct physical and behavioural development , with no livestock stress.

> Because an environment compromise

Grazing by native ruminant animal herds is essential for healthy grassland ecology. Properly managing cattle grazing so that it mimics natural patterns of native ungulates increases the number and vigor of native plants, improves the vegetative cover of stream banks, hastens manure decomposition, extends the growing season of grassland, and increases the percentage of perennial grasses while reducing weed species.

Grazing ruminants do release methane into the atmosphere, and methane is one of the two major elements that contribute to global warming. When cultivated soils are returned to pasture, they gain an average of one-half ton of carbon per acre per year for the first five years after grassland restoration.

ompared to cultivated lands, properly managed pasture lands make practically no contribution to soil erosion, ground water loss, or water pollution. They produce dense root structures that prevent erosion, enable the soil to retain water, refill subterranean aquifers, and protect surface waterways. In fact, incorporating grazing land into a farm is one of the most effective ways for a farmer to reduce erosion and water pollution (as well as diversify sources of income for more economic security).