Would you switch from Beef to Kangaroo, to save a planet?

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Ridgerunner said:
One does notice that Australians eat grass-fed beef and don’t have kangaroo ranches for eating. Undoubtedly they know something.

And removing bovines from the earth would have two serious downsides:
  1. It results in desertification of the land, which encourages global warming and reduces water availability, if anyone is interested in that.
  2. It would waste roughly 1/3 of the land, which is not useable for anything but grazing.
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I think early settlers introduced cattle over bison because they are much more manageable. Bison have a wild temperament and are very stubborn. I expect kangaroos are likewise difficult to control in a commercial ranch. You would need special fencing at a minimum.

I wasn’t aware cows prevent desertification
 
Theo520 said:
I wasn’t aware cows prevent desertification
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Managed properly, that appears to be the case. Google “Alan Savory” and you’ll get the full picture, but stated briefly, their defecation and urination enriches the soil, improving conditions for plant life, and thus earth-cooling and water retention. Also, their hoof action drives organic material into the soil where it degrades biologically rather than by oxidation in the air.

But it has to be done the right way, imitating as much as possible what herds would do in the wild, which is to bunch together for predator protection and move fairly rapidly through pasture segments. That allows for quick grass recovery and enough photosynthesis to encourage vigorous root growth.

Interestingly, not long ago a couple of ag professors at Texas A&M determined that if all the grasslands in the U.S. were managed properly, they would take up more CO2 than human activity in the U.S. produces. The current movement is in that direction in the U.S. I have done some of it myself. But in the third world, poor management is pretty much the rule.
 
I’d try the little 'roo. Any new thing to put in the water bath sous vide is okay with me.
 
It’s possible to give up beef without giving up meat or eating Kangaroo. I think the survey answers don’t account for people that would go in that direction.
 
Provide me clear evidence that my diet will ‘save’ the planet and I may be tempted to eat all kinds of things.

But I somehow do not believe the planet hinges upon my consumption of anything.
 
Yes I would…kangaroo is wonderful…tastes like some of the most tender beef you’ve had…and if you pay very close attention to the taste…it has a slight 'foul" taste to it. It’s awesome
 
I tried a bite of kangaroo at a food exposition waayy back when I was in high school. It was tender and had strong beef flavor. 🤷 It was o.k. I don’t know if I’d want to eat a lot of it because it seemed too flavorful and too rich.
 
They’ve tried to push Kangaroo on us for years in Coles and Woolworths. It’s stayed a niche market and I think people get it for the novelty. I never had the desire to try but my brother tricked me a few years back. He stewed up minced roo meat for hours and made heavily laden pizzas with it. It was flavoursome but I wasn’t impressed to be tricked.

There is also the parasite issue brought up by Petaro. They really aren’t made for eating or maybe as a last resort before having to start eating the neighbours.
 
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