There is rapidly growing awareness that Hawaii needs to reduce its reliance on imported foods and increase food production within the state. Food security is highly dependent on agricultural diversity and sustainability. Ideally, local agriculture would produce the variety of foods needed to support good health by meeting our needs for all essential nutrients: vitamins, minerals, essential fats, carbohydrates and, especially, protein.

An adequate supply of protein is central to good health at all ages. Protein is critical for countless functions in the body, including growth and repair, immune function and maintenance of muscle and strength, to mention a few.

Protein is one of the most limited nutrients in the locally produced food supply. Our major protein foods are fish, eggs, milk, poultry and meats such as pork and beef. There are many environmental considerations to take into account when considering how much production of each food type is best for Hawaii.

Probably the most commonly questioned high-protein food is beef. Its production often is accused of being an energy-wasteful way to produce protein. However, this perspective overlooks many factors that should be considered, especially in Hawaii. Beef production can be a strain on the environment. But, done right, it also can enhance the environment, depending on farming and ranching practices.

Question: Considering the limited land area, does beef production in Hawaii make sense?

Answer: Beef cattle have been in Hawaii since 1793 and have remained a significant part of Hawaii agriculture and culture ever since. There is land on all the islands, and especially on the Big Island, that cannot be efficiently farmed to produce plant protein foods like beans and nuts. However, beef and dairy cattle, as well as goats and sheep, are able to convert pasture grasses into meat and milk proteins for human consumption.

Beef cattle, especially, can benefit the health and sustainability of pasture lands when managed properly. If that sounds crazy to you, read the book “Cows Save the Planet,” by Judith Schwartz. It makes a convincing case by describing how cows benefit the environment by restoring soil and promoting healthy pasture lands.

Question: Why not get all protein from plants?

Answer: There are many ways to meet protein needs, and plant foods contribute to overall protein in the diet. However, there are some good reasons to include foods like beef and milk in an overall healthful diet. People often are surprised to learn that lean beef and milk products are low-calorie sources of high-quality protein. For example, getting 10 grams of protein from lean beef or cottage cheese requires consuming about 80 calories. To get the same amount of protein from beans requires consuming about 210 calories. Ten grams of protein from grains or nuts comes along with 320 to 360 calories.

Beef also is a very good source of well-absorbed iron and zinc, the two nutrients most commonly in short supply in many diets. In addition, the iron in red meats, known as heme iron, is very efficiently absorbed in the intestine. Without heme iron in the diet, daily iron intake must nearly double for the body to be able to absorb enough iron to meet its requirements.

Overall, practices such as cattle ranching in Hawaii help to tap range lands that cannot produce other foods efficiently. With the increasing popularity of grass-fed beef, managed cattle grazing can revitalize and maintain important ecosystems and preserve open space while reducing fire risk.

This all adds up to a positive way to increase food security in the islands.

Alan Titchenal, Ph.D., C.N.S., and Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S., are nutritionists in the Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii-Manoa. Dobbs also works with University Health Services.