To 探花精选鈥檚 , the relationship between cattle, birds, and even neutralizing ranching鈥檚 greenhouse gas output is both logical and obvious. With 84 percent of American grasslands privately owned and 95 percent of all grassland birds living on cattle ranches, it鈥檚 not hard to see why Johnson, the 探花精选鈥檚 vice president for Conservation Ranching, sees the nation鈥檚 ranchers as key to conserving one of North America鈥檚 most imperiled ecosystems. But unlike many who cast cattle as the villainous 鈥渂lack hats鈥 in the effort to slow global climate change, Johnson sees cattle 鈥 raised sustainably 鈥 as part of the climate solution.
鈥淲e have a pretty simple kind of approach,鈥 he said. 鈥淣o cows, no grass, no birds. Everything is interrelated鈥
Since 2012, Johnson has led the expansion of 探花精选鈥檚 Conservation Ranching Initiative (ACR) to encompass more than 70 ranches on more than two million acres of land. As of June, 2021, 探花精选 is preparing to double the program鈥檚 acreage through a partnership with , the nation鈥檚 largest producer of premium, grass-fed beef. The partnership will enable Panorama to add 探花精选鈥檚 鈥済razed on bird-friendly land鈥 seal alongside those certifying its meat as organically and humanely raised, and put meat from ACR-certified lands in front of millions more consumers.
鈥淭here鈥檚 so much value alignment between how 探花精选 is going about this program and how Panorama Organic has sustained and grown its brand over the years,鈥 he said. 鈥淪o bringing these two brands together really was, from the outset, a win-win situation.鈥
To participate in ACR, ranchers adopt 鈥渞egenerative grazing practices鈥 that mimic the grazing practices of historic bison herds that once roamed the plains. The techniques allow a variety of native grasses to grow and thrive by allowing pastures to rest and recover. That, in turn, provides habitat for imperiled grassland birds, whose numbers have declined by more than 50 percent over the past 50 years 鈥 part of a broader . ACR ranchers receive a 鈥渂ird friendly鈥 certification and seal from 探花精选. The program also requires that livestock be able to freely graze on open grassland, prohibits use of animal by-products or antibiotics in feed, prohibits use of feedlots, and includes monitoring for animal health and welfare. In return for their efforts, ranchers receive a premium price for their products, which bear 探花精选鈥檚 鈥済razed on bird-friendly land鈥 certification seal.
That seal speaks to real change. According to the "bird friendliness index" developed by 探花精选's science team to compare ACR-certified ranches with nearby, conventional ones, grassland bird abundance jumped by under ACR protocols. Initiatives like ACR inspired a recent, 探花精选-sponsored bill in the California Legislature that would create financial incentives for ranchers to adopt similar practices in the Golden State.
For Panorama General Manager Kay Cornelius, herself a fourth-generation rancher, teaming up with 探花精选 made sense not just for birds, but for Panorama Organic ranchers and consumers, as well. 鈥淭here鈥檚 plenty of overlap between the 探花精选 standards and our own, which makes it easy for our ranchers,鈥 said Cornelius. 鈥淲e鈥檙e happy we can add that environmental seal to our label so consumers will understand the impact of their purchases when they buy Panorama Organic meats.鈥
Panorama touts stewardship as a cornerstone of its operations. Its 34 ranching partners manage about a million acres of organic land across the Western U.S., a number Cornelius expects to double by 2030. In addition to complying with USDA Organic and Global Animal Partnership Step 4 animal welfare standards, each ranch will follow a specific habitat management plan developed with an 探花精选 rangeland ecologist. Those plans include protocols to enhance soil quality; increase species diversity in terms of the plant life that benefits pollinators, like bees and butterflies; and to restore habitat for grassland birds and other animals. Practices like rotational grazing can mimic the effects of historic herds of bison, which evolved over millions of years alongside native grass species and birds. Johnson says the benefits are global.
鈥淕rasslands are a dynamic ecosystem and are the tip of a carbon sequestration iceberg,鈥 said Johnson. 鈥淲hat you see is not what you get. A three-foot tall prairie plant has a root system that extends more than three to four times that beneath the surface, and that鈥檚 where the magic happens. Those deep root systems can sequester more than five to 15 metric tons of carbon out of the atmosphere per acre every yearper acre.鈥
Why do birds matter, especially to ranchers? 鈥淚t鈥檚 a cascade effect,鈥 said Johnson. 鈥淏irds go silent, and that鈥檚 an indication that we鈥檙e losing pollinators. When we lose grasslands, we diminish the ability of soils to function at their highest ability. We release carbon from the soils and into the atmosphere and we also degrade the ability of the soils to filter and discharge water to recharge our aquifers, rivers, and streams. Birds are a great indicator of the bigger calamity we鈥檙e in the midst of.鈥
Panorama鈥檚 long-term commitment to conservation offers consumers an opportunity to participate in a meaningful effort to solve some of the significant problems facing the planet. 鈥淧icking up a package of costs only a few dollars more than commodity beef and gives consumers a vote on changing the environment,鈥 said Cornelius. People can feel good that when they purchase one of our steaks, they have an impact on soils, biodiversity, and bird life right here in the United States. And we鈥檙e very proud of that.鈥
Panorama organic meats from 探花精选-certified land will be available at , , Whole Foods Market and many other retailers across the country beginning in August, 2021.