Grass-Fed Beef: Understanding Terminology in Conventionally Raised Beef and Grass-Fed Beef

Grass-Fed and Grass-Finished Beef

Conversely, while hard definitions are elusive, most in the grass-fed/grass-finished beef industry would agree that the basic premise, or intent, of grass-fed is that an animal be primarily or exclusively fed non-grain feedstuffs during its lifetime, with an emphasis on free-range grazing. To most in the industry, the term grass-fed implies the individual is also grass-finished, meaning that the animal is brought to a desired carcass weight and yield grade (such as prime, choice and select) via a non-grain, forage-based diet. In these systems, cattle are often slaughtered somewhere between 1,000 and 1,200 pounds at 24–28 months-of-age with a typical average daily rate of gain of 1.5–2.5 pounds/day (give or take).

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s standard for a ‘grassfed’ beef animal is that it be 50% grass-fed. This 50% standard can be achieved in any number of ways, some of which are not consistent with the core standards of what grass-fed/grass-finished should be. For instance, a pasture-raised 15-month-old stocker steer could be put on a grain-based finishing diet for six months and still technically quality as grass-fed, although certainly not grass-finished. Conversely, a 15-month-old steer that was backgrounded on corn silage and grain rations could be turned out on grass for several months before slaughter and could be technically claimed as grass-finished. Finally, one could feed/finish beef on a grass-based, non-grain diet in a feedlot system that mimics conventional feedlots. In any of the above scenarios, the core intention of grass-fed/grass-finished would not have been achieved to the satisfaction of most producers or customers in the grass-fed/grass-finished industry. The Bonterra Partners report addresses the general confusion surrounding how animals are finished into four basic categories: 1) Conventional (confined animals finished on grain); 2) Pasture-raised (pasture animals finished on grain); 3) Grass-feedlot (confined animals finished on grass) and 4) Pure grass-fed (pasture animals finished on grass). However, even within these categories lie several criteria where an individual beef operation may not be an exact fit.

Generally, the whole of the grass-fed beef industry hinges on the premise of meeting a market demand by offering the customer an alternative beef product that is raised and slaughtered under certain expected criteria. Oftentimes, consumers of grass-fed beef are also concerned with other issues. The Bonterra Partners report cites the broader issues of human health, animal welfare, environmental protection, systems health, biological diversity, soil health, climate and food quality as topics that are important to grass-fed beef producers and consumers, and thus this consumer group views the grass-fed industry as providing products that are more or less consistent with their personal lifestyle choices. Therefore, other terminology tends to creep into the understanding or expectations of grass-fed/grass-finished. For example, it is often implied or perceived that grass-fed livestock also meet the general expectations of all-natural, vegetarian, hormone-free, etc. In many cases, these expectations are accurate, but not always. It is important to note that consumer perception and desires are quite important. Many consumers who purchase grass-fed beef would not purchase grain-fed beef, so without this option, the beef industry would lose that market share to other competing proteins.