What’s new in the beef cattle industry? There’s never a dull moment, that’s for sure.

This week, we see a rancher defending the beef cattle industry and showcasing how cattle are a benefit to planetary health.

In New Mexico, ranchers take on current beef labeling laws, while the JBS fire creates a new push to reform cattle markets.

Across the pond, we learn that a cow has been detected with BSE.

And we discover a new way, scientists hope to reduce our industry’s carbon footprint.

Check out this week’s Trending Headlines and let me know what you think!

1. “Guest commentary: Cattle are not destroying the environment” by Jen Johnson Livsey for the Denver Post

Johnson Livsey writes, “When soil is healthy, it also sequesters carbon, pulling CO2 out of the air and storing it instead in the ground where it can be used by plants. The combination of cow dung and cow hooves further help cycle nutrients into the soil. Plus, cattle can even help mitigate wildfires, as their grazing cuts down the forages that might otherwise act as fuel for a fire.”

2. “BSE found in cow in England” by Food Safety News

According to Food Safety News, “One case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) has been detected in a cow on a farm in England. The animal died and has been removed from the farm in Somerset, according to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

Related:USRSB launches additional beef sustainability modules

“The single case of classical BSE, known as mad cow disease, was found this past week. Classical BSE occurs in cattle after ingesting prion contaminated feed, according to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).”

3. “Potty-trained cattle could help reduce pollution” by Maria Temming for ScienceNews

Temming writes, “You can lead a cow to a water closet, but can you make it pee there? It turns out that yes, you can. Researchers in Germany successfully trained cows to use a small, fenced-in area with artificial turf flooring as a bathroom stall.

“This could allow farms to easily capture and treat cow urine, which often pollutes air, soil and water, researchers report online September 13 in Current Biology. Components of that urine, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, could also be used to make fertilizer.”

4. “JBS fire highlights efforts to reform cattle markets” by Steve White for Nebraska ABC TV

White reports, “Industry groups say the effects of COVID and lack of labor are to blame for rising meat prices, saying it’s supply and demand. But there appears to be growing consensus to do something legislatively to level the playing field for cattlemen.”

Related:A brief history of cattle cycles

5. “Circuit judges grill meat manufacturers about when exactly, a ‘slab of beef’ becomes a U.S. product” by Elura Nanos for Law and Crime

Nanos writes, “A group of New Mexico ranchers made their case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit over food companies allegedly deceiving ranchers by labeling beef ‘Product of the USA,’ when in reality, the cattle are raised overseas and are slaughtered and processed in the United States.

“Plaintiffs Robin Thornton and Michael Lucero represent the class suing Tyson Foods, Cargill Meat Solutions, JBS USA Food Company and National Beef Packing Company. Federal law regulates beef labeling and prohibits meat products from being sold under ‘labeling which is false or misleading.’

“The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal agency authorized to further regulate beef labeling. The plaintiffs raised claims under the New Mexico Unfair Practices Act as well as state contract law.”

The opinions of Amanda Radke are not necessarily those of beefmagazine.com or Farm Progress.