On my trip for the #FarmFoodTour I learned some really interesting things about agriculture and wanted to share a bit more of the information I learned at Monsanto. Here are 10 facts you probably didn’t know…

1. If we implement certain techniques by 2050, we can produce 43% more beef for consumers, save over 682 million cattle/water buffalo, and save 2.48 trillion liters of water a year by using sustainability techniques.

2. By 2050, the demand of pork will rise by 50 percent. By using innovative and new ways of farming, we will save 434 trillion tons of feed for animals, 262 acres of land, and 260 billion gallons of water.

3. Although some meat and dairy products say “no antibiotics” on their labels, the meat and dairy products you buy are all free of antibiotics even if it’s written or not. Several tests have been done to ensure that all products, despite having no label, are safe to buy.

4. Approximately 1.3 billion tons of food is lost/wasted every year and 20% of that is milk and meat products lost to deaths and diseases.

5.  Just like humans, all living things have naturally-occurring hormones. For example, chicken has 1.8 nanograms of hormones, implanted beef has 1.9 nanograms, and eggs have 94 nanograms.

6. There are over 795 million people in the world who are malnourished. Of those 795 million, 40 million are Americans. Of those 40 million Americans, 13 million are children. Some of the issues with nutrient-deficient diets include bad brain development, anemia, increase in diseases, and lack of productivity.

7. The truth behind food labels can be shocking. For instance, local means that you’re supporting local farmers. However, these are usually less sustainable for the environment. Organic doesn’t always mean pesticide free and is usually just as nutritionally balanced as the non-organic labeled foods. Free range simply means that animals are housed indoors but have access to being outdoors.

8. Modern agriculture has a few achievements including keeping food prices down, improving the health of animals/the environment, and supporting greater sustainability.

9. Both modern and organic farming have pro’s and con’s to them. Organic farmers use lesser amounts of fertilizer and herbicides. Modern farmers are far more environmentally sustainable by using their resources more efficiently.

10. Meat has more protein than any other food source. A 3 oz of steak has 85 grams of protein while 1 1/2 cups of black beans has 360 mL of protein.

For more facts and information on agriculture and farming, visit Monsanto and  check out more of my #FarmFoodTour posts.