IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i21p11860-d665688.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Taking Stock of Social Sustainability and the U.S. Beef Industry

Author

Listed:
  • Hannah Gosnell

    (College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA)

  • Kelsey Emard

    (College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA)

  • Elizabeth Hyde

    (College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA)

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a study of social sustainability in the U.S. beef industry with a focus on the pre-harvest, cattle ranching portion of the industry. Using an integrative literature review and interviews with fifteen thought leaders in the field, we synthesize key indicators of social sustainability and provide a framework to be used in analyzing social sustainability in the pre-harvest beef industry. We identify six themes that are critical to social sustainability: human health; learning/adaptation; community relations; equity and inclusion; land ownership, tenure, and succession; and industry structure. However, our results also indicate that social sustainability as a term is insufficient for representing the positive futures desired by ranchers and that quantifiable indicators and metrics are not able to capture some of the subjective qualities of social sustainability. There is a need for future research that builds on these ideas and explores alternative future scenarios for the U.S. beef industry by engaging more diverse perspectives.

Suggested Citation

  • Hannah Gosnell & Kelsey Emard & Elizabeth Hyde, 2021. "Taking Stock of Social Sustainability and the U.S. Beef Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-23, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:21:p:11860-:d:665688
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/21/11860/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/21/11860/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Adriana Rivera-Huerta & María de la Salud Rubio Lozano & Alejandro Padilla-Rivera & Leonor Patricia Güereca, 2019. "Social Sustainability Assessment in Livestock Production: A Social Life Cycle Assessment Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-22, August.
    2. Aimee Shreck & Christy Getz & Gail Feenstra, 2006. "Social sustainability, farm labor, and organic agriculture: Findings from an exploratory analysis," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 23(4), pages 439-449, December.
    3. Painter, Lilian & Nallar, Rodolfo & Fleytas, Maria del Carmen & Loayza, Oscar & Reinaga, Ariel & Villalba, Laura, 2020. "Reconciliation of cattle ranching with biodiversity and social inclusion objectives in large private properties in Paraguay and collective indigenous lands in Bolivia," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    4. Johnson, Michael Kotutwa & Lien, Aaron M. & Sherman, Natalya Robbins & López-Hoffman, Laura, 2018. "Barriers to PES programs in Indigenous communities: A lesson in land tenure insecurity from the Hopi Indian reservation," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 32(PA), pages 62-69.
    5. Judith Janker & Stefan Mann, 2020. "Understanding the social dimension of sustainability in agriculture: a critical review of sustainability assessment tools," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 1671-1691, March.
    6. Efrat Eizenberg & Yosef Jabareen, 2017. "Social Sustainability: A New Conceptual Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-16, January.
    7. Yoan Molinero-Gerbeau & Ana López-Sala & Monica Șerban, 2021. "On the Social Sustainability of Industrial Agriculture Dependent on Migrant Workers. Romanian Workers in Spain’s Seasonal Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-17, January.
    8. Katarina Arvidsson Segerkvist & Helena Hansson & Ulf Sonesson & Stefan Gunnarsson, 2021. "A Systematic Mapping of Current Literature on Sustainability at Farm-Level in Beef and Lamb Meat Production," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-14, February.
    9. Hannah Gosnell & Kerry Grimm & Bruce E. Goldstein, 2020. "A half century of Holistic Management: what does the evidence reveal?," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 37(3), pages 849-867, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Anja Scheurich & Alexandra Penicka & Stefan Hörtenhuber & Thomas Lindenthal & Elisabeth Quendler & Werner Zollitsch, 2021. "Elements of Social Sustainability among Austrian Hay Milk Farmers: Between Satisfaction and Stress," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-20, November.
    2. Judith Janker & Stefan Mann, 2020. "Understanding the social dimension of sustainability in agriculture: a critical review of sustainability assessment tools," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 1671-1691, March.
    3. Mensah Marfo & Abiel Ashitey ARMAH & Eleazer Fianko Ofei & Isaac Sewornu Coffie & Linda Adadevoh & Sanjeet Kumar Pattnaik & Carl Asante Reindoph & Edward Annan, 2024. "Competitive advantage and sustainability in Ghanaian microfinance institutions: the mediating role of strategic capabilities," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 10(1), pages 1-18, December.
    4. Jolita Vveinhardt & Vilija Bite Fominiene & Regina Andriukaitiene, 2019. "“Omerta” in Organized Sport: Bullying and Harassment as Determinants of Threats of Social Sustainability at the Individual Level," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-31, April.
    5. Akram Hatami & Jan Hermes & Anne Keränen & Pauliina Ulkuniemi, 2023. "Creating Social Sustainability Through Distributing Leadership and Co-Responsibility in Corporate Volunteering," South Asian Journal of Business and Management Cases, , vol. 12(1), pages 81-96, April.
    6. Agnieszka Wojewódzka-Wiewiórska & Anna Kłoczko-Gajewska & Piotr Sulewski, 2019. "Between the Social and Economic Dimensions of Sustainability in Rural Areas—In Search of Farmers’ Quality of Life," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-26, December.
    7. Huilian Han & Hui Li, 2020. "Coupling Coordination Evaluation between Population and Land Urbanization in Ha-Chang Urban Agglomeration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-23, January.
    8. Jianing Wei & Jixiao Cui & Yinan Xu & Jinna Li & Xinyu Lei & Wangsheng Gao & Yuanquan Chen, 2022. "Social Life Cycle Assessment of Major Staple Grain Crops in China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-22, April.
    9. Jubril Olakitan Atanda & Ayşe Öztürk, 2020. "Social criteria of sustainable development in relation to green building assessment tools," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 61-87, January.
    10. Maciej Piekarski & Łukasz Bajda & Ewelina Gotkowska, 2021. "Transformation of Socialist Realistic Residential Architecture into a Contemporary Sustainable Housing Habitat—General Approach and the Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-29, December.
    11. Lea Primožič & Andreja Kutnar, 2022. "Sustainability Communication in Global Consumer Brands," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-16, October.
    12. Tasneem Alsaati & Samir El-Nakla & Darin El-Nakla, 2020. "Level of Sustainability Awareness among University Students in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-15, April.
    13. Pietro Previtali & Eugenio Salvati, 2021. "Area Social Plans and Local Governance of Interorganizational Collaborations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-16, January.
    14. Ethan Gordon & Federico Davila & Chris Riedy, 2022. "Transforming landscapes and mindscapes through regenerative agriculture," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(2), pages 809-826, June.
    15. Robin Hogrefe & Sabine Bohnet-Joschko, 2023. "The Social Dimension of Corporate Sustainability: Review of an Evolving Research Field," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-22, February.
    16. Zehua Wang & Fachao Liang & Sheng-Hau Lin, 2023. "Can socially sustainable development be achieved through homestead withdrawal? A hybrid multiple-attributes decision analysis," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-18, December.
    17. Çağla Beyaz & Çilen Erçin, 2023. "Evaluation of Modern Architecture Criteria in the Context of Sustainability and Architectural Approach; Modern Period in North Nicosia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-48, June.
    18. Jill Harrison & Christy Getz, 2015. "Farm size and job quality: mixed-methods studies of hired farm work in California and Wisconsin," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 32(4), pages 617-634, December.
    19. Dorn, Franziska & Maxand, Simone & Kneib, Thomas, 2024. "The nonlinear dependence of income inequality and carbon emissions: Potentials for a sustainable future," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    20. Fernando Caixeta & André M. Carvalho & Pedro Saraiva & Fausto Freire, 2022. "Sustainability-Focused Excellence: A Novel Model Integrating the Water–Energy–Food Nexus for Agro-Industrial Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-20, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:21:p:11860-:d:665688. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.