The other red meat: Environmental and nutritional advantages of horsemeat over beef and other meats

CONTEXT: Beef is the most environmentally unfriendly meat. We must explore pathways to reduce emissions from meat production. OBJECTIVE: Explore the potential for horsemeat to reduce or even replace beef as the red meat of choice. METHODS: Review and collation of relevant information and data in order to compare the production and consumption of beef with horsemeat. Important aspects to compare are emissions from production, feed and land requirements, and nutritional qualities of the meat. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Compared to beef, horsemeat contains higher protein and iron, less fat, a lower percentage of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, less cholesterol, and more essential amino acids. Regarding emissions, horses produce far less methane than cattle per kilogram of meat produced. Regarding land use, horses are less efficient digesters, which increases the total area required, though they require less cropland. Horses are also more mobile, require less protection from the elements and predators, and can graze year-round, making more marginal and distant pastures available for longer periods. Additionally, cropland currently used for feed production could be converted to high-quality hayfields, further reducing land demand. SIGNIFICANCE: Horsemeat is not only a viable option, but perhaps a preferable one in the face of the global need to reduce the environmental impacts of meat production.