Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/336729 
Year of Publication: 
2026
Citation: 
[Journal:] Agricultural Systems [ISSN:] 1873-2267 [Volume:] 234 [Article No.:] 104665 [Publisher:] Elsevier [Place:] Amsterdam [Year:] 2026
Publisher: 
Elsevier, Amsterdam
Abstract: 
CONTEXT: Beef is the most environmentally unfriendly meat. We must explore pathways to reduce emissions from meat production. OBJECTIVE: Explore the potential for horsemeat to reduce or even replace beef as the red meat of choice. METHODS: Review and collation of relevant information and data in order to compare the production and consumption of beef with horsemeat. Important aspects to compare are emissions from production, feed and land requirements, and nutritional qualities of the meat. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Compared to beef, horsemeat contains higher protein and iron, less fat, a lower percentage of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, less cholesterol, and more essential amino acids. Regarding emissions, horses produce far less methane than cattle per kilogram of meat produced. Regarding land use, horses are less efficient digesters, which increases the total area required, though they require less cropland. Horses are also more mobile, require less protection from the elements and predators, and can graze year-round, making more marginal and distant pastures available for longer periods. Additionally, cropland currently used for feed production could be converted to high-quality hayfields, further reducing land demand. SIGNIFICANCE: Horsemeat is not only a viable option, but perhaps a preferable one in the face of the global need to reduce the environmental impacts of meat production.
Subjects: 
horsemeat
beef
livestock emissions
methane
land use
food vs. feed
meat nutrition
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Creative Commons License: 
cc-by Logo
Document Type: 
Article
Document Version: 
Published Version

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