Defending Beef 2nd Edition

With more public awareness of the connections between health and diet, food and climate and farming, Defending Beef—a modern classic on sustainable food culture—has never been more timely. As the meat industries—from small-scale ranchers and butchers to sprawling slaughterhouse operators—responds to climate threats, a pandemic, and the rise of plant-based and lab-produced meats, environmental lawyer turned rancher Nicolette Hahn Niman delivers a passionate argument for responsible meat production and consumption in this updated and expanded new edition of her bestselling Defending Beef.

Hahn Niman dispels popular myths about how eating beef is bad for our bodies and the planet. Grounded in empirical scientific data and citing examples from around the world, she illustrates how cattle can help build carbon-sequestering soils to mitigate climate change, enhance biodiversity, present desertification, and provide essential nutrition. 

Copyright 2021, softcover, 290 pages.

About the Author:

Nicolette Hahn Niman is the author of Defending Beef. She previously served as senior attorney for the Waterkeeper Alliance, running their campaign to reform the concentrated production of livestock and poultry. In recent years she has gained a national reputation as an advocate for sustainable food production and improved farm-animal welfare. She is the author of Righteous Porkchop (HarperCollins, 2009) and has written for numerous publications, including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, and The Atlantic online. She lives on a ranch in Northern California, with her husband, Bill Niman, and their two sons.