Grass-based food is the natural way, says Utah nutritionist

By Andrew McClelland, Advocate Staff Reporter

Dr. Tilak Dhiman, a nutritionist at Utah State University, isn’t one to shy away from the big issues in life when sharing his opinions on milk and meat production.

“We live in a materialistic society today,” he tells a group of agricultural producers attending a pasture day organized by the Réseau Agri-Conseil Outaouais held at Bristol town hall on February 3. “We have everything—a three-car garage, big-screen televisions—but still we are not happy because we are moving away from Nature. And the more we move away from Nature, the sicker and less healthy we become.”

A graduate from Himachal University in Palampur, India, Dhiman has enjoyed an illustrious career in the United States and around the world, lending his expertise to such diverse projects as the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s taskforce to reduce livestock methane emissions to improving feed and dairy management in India.

But his overriding commitment is to finding scientific improvements to food production to help farmers deliver cleaner, better food.

“Perhaps forty or fifty years ago, we were concerned that the world food supply was not enough,” said Dhiman. “But we have plenty of food in the world today. What we need to do now is to improve the quality of that food.”

For Dhiman, improving the quality of our meat and dairy products means producing them on pasture. After devoting years to studying the nutritional and health benefits of grass-fed meat and milk, he is convinced that many current farming methods result in unhealthy food—and an unhealthy society.

“In the United States, 25 to 28 per cent of our beef comes from culled cattle,” noted Dhiman in his presentation. Citing the increasing rate of diseases such as mastitis, lameness and abomasal displacement in such cattle, Dhiman argued against the excesses he sees as a mounting cause for concern in beef production. “Thirty per cent of cows’ livers are discarded at the slaughterhouse because they have abscesses,” he said. “All we care about is raising a cow to 1,200 pounds–and that’s that.”

But Dhiman, who also holds a doctorate from the National Dairy Institute in Karnal, India, sees encouraging signs in greater consumer concern over food quality and nutritional value. And producers, he thinks, can lead the way in letting the public know what top-quality food is.

“These days, consumers care about the environment, about water, air, animals and food. They may not understand agriculture—or have any experience in it—but they do care about healthy food. And many have the money to buy it.”

Dhiman sees the growth of the organic food market as one indication that shoppers want healthy food. He explains that since 1997, organic food sales have increased by 18 per cent in the U.S., now taking up a total of 2.5 per cent of the entire market. Dhiman also believes that it will be smaller producers who will benefit from the organic food trend.

“Organic gives smaller farms an advantage, a niche market,” he explains. “A small farm can raise its herd all on grass and therefore make nutritious food. A feedlot with 10,000 cattle cannot do that.”

What’s more, Dhiman claims, is that the public already trusts farmers to produce healthy, clean food, a perception that small producers can take advantage of. Commenting on a recent study that asked participants “Who do you trust to ensure the safety of the foods you eat?” Dhiman noted that while only 20 per cent of people trusted their elected officials on the matter, a whopping 70 per cent answered that they trust farmers. In many circles, it seems, the stereotype of the honest country farmer still goes a long way.

Recently, Dhiman has focused his research on improving the conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content in dairy and meat products, something that grass-based food provides in spades. His findings boast an impressive catalogue of advantages for grass-based products, showing that much of it provides five times the amount of CLA, two to three times the amount of vitamin E and an increase in Omega-3 acids.

Interestingly, Dhiman also claims that the trans fats (the current food bogey man according to most of today’s diet schemes) found in grass-based food actually have a positive effect on human health.

“When you read in the newspapers that trans fats are bad,” he mentions, “those are industrial trans fats. But the trans fats contained in grass-fed beef, for instance, are good for your health and can even help you lose weight.”

For Dhiman, the small family farm will clearly be able to survive if producers can satisfy consumers’ needs for healthier food produced in a natural way.

“Industrial farming has led us down a very narrow path,” he said to the attentive group gathered in Bristol town hall. “Large supermarkets impose restrictions on us when we raise our product—a cut of beef must have so much marbling, its fat much be very white, or it is not accepted. Why can’t we have diversity in our food? Diversity exists in Nature.”


The Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada (OACC) wishes to thank the Quebec Farmer's Association for permission to reproduce this article on our website.
© Copyright 2007, Quebec Farmer's Association. “The Quebec Farmer's Association defends the rights, provides information and advocates for the 3,000 English-speaking agricultural producers in Quebec. For more information visit www.QuebecFarmers.org."


en français


Posted July 2007