In light of new data, (“Farmers could be the ‘heroes’ who save the Great Salt Lake, new study says”) it’s clear that Utah cannot save the Great Salt Lake and keep growing water-thirsty crops like alfalfa and hay for cattle.
Propping up meat and dairy production by importing feed from other drought-stricken areas — like the upper Colorado River basin where feed crops guzzle 90% of water used for irrigation — isn’t a sustainable alternative, even if Utah hay and alfalfa production is curbed.
If we’re really committed to saving the Great Salt Lake — as well as lakes and rivers throughout the drought-stricken West — we must invest in growing food that we have the natural resources to sustain, and to eat like the planet’s future depends on it.
Eating less beef and dairy can help support farmers in transitioning to sustainable, water-smart food production. Dietary shifts are not only a crucial strategy for lowering greenhouse gas emissions but also help prevent severe water shortages and damage to beloved environmental resources such as the Great Salt Lake.
Rethinking what a thriving economy looks like for Utahns includes rethinking what’s grown in Utah and what we eat.
Jennifer Molidor, Center for Biological Diversity
