The second favourite meat - Beef

Our second favourite meat
After chicken, beef is the most consumed meat in Australia. It's estimated that the average Aussie eats 32.5 kg, 71 lbs, or the equivalent of 361 McDonald's Big Macs a year.

Cattle Farms - a huge area
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, over 43% (332 million hectares) of the Australian landmass is used for farming cattle to produce beef and veal. This enormous area covers all of Australia's states and territories, and makes up 75% of the country's agricultural land. Interestingly, this massive usage of our land only contributes about 1% of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP)...

Exported around the world
Australia produces 4% of the world's beef, and is the second largest producer after Brazil. In 2008/2009, 67% of the beef and veal produced in Australia was exported to over 100 countries. Indonesia tops the list, with 80% of our exported beef ending up on their plates.

Australia wasn't made for hoofed animals
When you travel around inland Australia, especially in the southern half, it's hard not to notice the damage cattle have done to the country. Dirt has replaced the grasslands, cow carcasses lay along the now muddy-edged waterholes, and a host of small marsupials that once thrived are virtually extinct, due to pressures from trampling and over-grazing.

Grass-fed organic beef
On the odd occasion that Jaime and I eat beef, we choose the organic option for several reasons:

• nutritionally speaking, grass-fed animals can have 2-4 times more omega-3s (or good fats), a third less total fat, and 4 times as much Vitamin E than grain-fed animals;
  
• organic beef also has the regular benefits of no pesticide and fertiliser contamination, added hormones, genetically modified organisms, or antibiotics; and
  
• most of all we like supporting local small-scale organic farms and produce, ensuring a sustainable future!