Beef Purchasing in Food Service: Considerations for Companies on Balancing Climate and Other Priorities

This report by the World Resources Institute analyzes the availability of verifiable lower-emissions beef in the U.S. and Europe, providing guidance for food buyers in the hospitality and catering sectors to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while balancing animal welfare and sustainability goals.

• Beef is identified as having some of the most significant negative impacts among all food types regarding climate, biodiversity, water pollution, deforestation, and land use.
• The report evaluates various methods for reducing beef emissions, including the use of feed additives, 'carbon neutral' or 'climate friendly' labels, and a comparison between regenerative, grass-fed, organic, and conventional feedlot-finished beef.
• Practical recommendations for food buyers to improve supply chain sustainability and lower emissions include reducing the total volume of beef served, identifying specific sourcing priorities, and directly engaging with suppliers to implement lower-emitting practices.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Beef Purchasing in Food Service: Considerations for Companies on Balancing Climate and Other Priorities. https://www.wri.org/research/beef-purchasing-food-service-considerations-companies-balancing-climate-and-other-priorities

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Beef Purchasing in Food Service: Considerations for Companies on Balancing Climate and Other Priorities. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/beef-purchasing-food-service-considerations-companies-balancing-climate-and-other-priorities.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Beef Purchasing in Food Service: Considerations for Companies on Balancing Climate and Other Priorities |url=https://www.wri.org/research/beef-purchasing-food-service-considerations-companies-balancing-climate-and-other-priorities |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendbeef, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Beef Purchasing in Food Service: Considerations for Companies on Balancing Climate and Other Priorities}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/beef-purchasing-food-service-considerations-companies-balancing-climate-and-other-priorities}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }