Jeff Simmons, CEO of animal health company Elanco, wants you to know something: You don’t have to stop eating burgers to save the planet. And you shouldn’t blame cows for climate change, either. In his view, “climate-neutral farming” is possible, and that would mean no one would need to give up meat and farms could continue to have just as many animals as ever.
When I spoke to Simmons a while back on the phone, his analysis surprised me. There are many conceivable scenarios for how the agrifood industry could adapt to increased environmental scrutiny. But I’ll readily admit that this one—no change in the scale or intensity of animal farming—was not one I had considered. Is it possible?
