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Better Pork Featured Articles

Better Pork magazine is published bimonthly. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


Bacon-lettuce comparison questioned

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Producing a calorie of bacon causes fewer greenhouse gas emissions than a calorie of lettuce. That's according to a new study by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University published in Environment Systems and Decisions and reported on in Climatewire. That's because, on a calorie basis, many fruits and vegetables are resource-intensive. If Americans switched their diets to fall in line with U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines, energy use, water use and greenhouse gas emissions would increase by 38 per cent, 10 per cent and six per cent respectively.

One of the authors, Paul Fischbeck, professor of social and decision sciences and engineering and public policy, concludes that a strictly vegan diet isn't good for the environment.  However, pork isn't really off the hook. No one eats lettuce for calorie content, points out Martin Heller, a research specialist with the Center for Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan, who published a similar study last May saying the bacon-lettuce comparison is ridiculous.

One lesson is that life-cycle assessments of foods are questionable. Maybe the newest dietary guidelines will be affected by climate change concerns anyway. BP

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FCC's New 6,000-Acre Innovation Farm in Manitoba

Thursday, July 17, 2025

Farm Credit Canada (FCC) is enhancing its Innovation Farm Network to support Canadian farmers and foster agricultural innovation. The network has expanded by adding a 6,000-acre farm in MacGregor, Manitoba, with 2,600 acres dedicated to growing potatoes. This is the first time a potato... Read this article online

North American Pork Leaders Focus on Health

Thursday, July 17, 2025

Leaders from the Canadian Pork Council (CPC), the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) from the United States, and the Mexican Pork Producer Organization (OPORMEX) recently gathered at a trilateral meeting in Niagara on the Lake, Ontario. The goal was to discuss key issues related to... Read this article online

Celebrate Farming with Alberta Open Farm Days 2025

Thursday, July 17, 2025

Alberta Open Farm Days returns on August 16 and 17, 2025, inviting Albertans to explore the heart of agriculture and rural tourism. This annual event connects people with local farmers and food producers, offering a chance to learn about farm life and food production. Now in its 13th... Read this article online

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