Matthew Hayek
@matthewhayek.bsky.social
NYU Asst. Professor of Environmental Studies. Climate, animals, land use, and food systems. MatthewHayek.com
That's a wise man!
November 26, 2025 at 4:30 AM
That's a wise man!
You know the thing about thawing and re-freezing being unsafe is a myth, right?
November 19, 2025 at 10:49 AM
You know the thing about thawing and re-freezing being unsafe is a myth, right?
In this case, the math never even remotely supported that Tyson's GHG reductions were executable. Settling this lawsuit seems like an expedient way for Tysons, TNC, and EDF to say "our bad; we didn't really have a plan here". newrepublic.com/article/1753...
The B.S. Behind the USDA’s New “Climate-Friendly Beef” Label
Burgers branded with false climate claims are coming to a supermarket near you.
newrepublic.com
November 17, 2025 at 11:45 PM
In this case, the math never even remotely supported that Tyson's GHG reductions were executable. Settling this lawsuit seems like an expedient way for Tysons, TNC, and EDF to say "our bad; we didn't really have a plan here". newrepublic.com/article/1753...
Nonprofits, this is a possible outcome for working with beef companies on greenwashed labeling: not helping, actively hurting, and in the end, not even being able to take credit for the *appearance* of a climate-friendly product. www.vox.com/future-perfe...
How the most powerful environmental groups help greenwash Big Meat’s climate impact
Organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund are laundering Big Meat’s propaganda. At what cost?
www.vox.com
November 17, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Nonprofits, this is a possible outcome for working with beef companies on greenwashed labeling: not helping, actively hurting, and in the end, not even being able to take credit for the *appearance* of a climate-friendly product. www.vox.com/future-perfe...
1. AI overview is not a reliable source. 2. I don't know if the milling it's discussing is for whole or refined grain flour. 3. If whole, this is just a hypothetical mechanism. Observationally, processed whole grains show *reduced* risks of diabetes, not increased risk. This isn't scientific
November 11, 2025 at 9:22 PM
1. AI overview is not a reliable source. 2. I don't know if the milling it's discussing is for whole or refined grain flour. 3. If whole, this is just a hypothetical mechanism. Observationally, processed whole grains show *reduced* risks of diabetes, not increased risk. This isn't scientific
In the next graf, he says cheese puffs are proof that processing itself is unhealthy. But cheese puffs are a refined grain, something that dietary guidelines have recommended we substitute for whole grains since the early 00s. And what is 'highly processed starch'? Seems like it's just...starch. 4/
November 10, 2025 at 8:17 PM
In the next graf, he says cheese puffs are proof that processing itself is unhealthy. But cheese puffs are a refined grain, something that dietary guidelines have recommended we substitute for whole grains since the early 00s. And what is 'highly processed starch'? Seems like it's just...starch. 4/
You know what else alters the physical and molecular structure of foods? *Cooking food*
By this logic, we'd be healthier on a raw foods diet. Spoiler alert: that's unhealthy, because while calories become less bioavailable, so do some critical vitamins and minerals. 3/
By this logic, we'd be healthier on a raw foods diet. Spoiler alert: that's unhealthy, because while calories become less bioavailable, so do some critical vitamins and minerals. 3/
November 10, 2025 at 8:17 PM
You know what else alters the physical and molecular structure of foods? *Cooking food*
By this logic, we'd be healthier on a raw foods diet. Spoiler alert: that's unhealthy, because while calories become less bioavailable, so do some critical vitamins and minerals. 3/
By this logic, we'd be healthier on a raw foods diet. Spoiler alert: that's unhealthy, because while calories become less bioavailable, so do some critical vitamins and minerals. 3/
The main voice for "it's the processing, dummy" is Dariush Mozzafarian at Tufts. He argues that we've altered the physical and molecular structure of foods. But that's the naturalist fallacy dressed up on more scientific-sounding clothes. It seems paper-thin and easy to refute. 2/
November 10, 2025 at 8:17 PM
The main voice for "it's the processing, dummy" is Dariush Mozzafarian at Tufts. He argues that we've altered the physical and molecular structure of foods. But that's the naturalist fallacy dressed up on more scientific-sounding clothes. It seems paper-thin and easy to refute. 2/
Congratulations Jon! Incredibly well-earned.
November 6, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Congratulations Jon! Incredibly well-earned.
All of this must come at the same time as lowering the overall global demand for land-exhaustive meat & dairy products. Or at least slowing its growth, so that less deforestation is required than all of our best models project www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The carbon opportunity cost of animal-sourced food production on land - Nature Sustainability
Shifting global food production to plant-based diets by 2050 can sequester 99–163% of the CO2 emissions budget towards limiting climate warming to 1.5 °C.
www.nature.com
November 5, 2025 at 5:04 PM
All of this must come at the same time as lowering the overall global demand for land-exhaustive meat & dairy products. Or at least slowing its growth, so that less deforestation is required than all of our best models project www.nature.com/articles/s41...
One author of the study says "just eat culled dairy beef", reflecting naivete of the study's model assumptions. There's a real reason why the US does less beef-from-dairy to Eastern Europe: dairy beef tastes different, and Americans love the taste of marbled feedlot stake from dedicated beef herds!
October 21, 2025 at 5:46 PM
One author of the study says "just eat culled dairy beef", reflecting naivete of the study's model assumptions. There's a real reason why the US does less beef-from-dairy to Eastern Europe: dairy beef tastes different, and Americans love the taste of marbled feedlot stake from dedicated beef herds!
This also drives the news writers to reach a dubious conclusion that producers can readily drive down impacts: if regional variation is so great, just source lower-emissions beef or emulate those methods, right? This is NOT a readily available mitigation measure though.
October 21, 2025 at 5:46 PM
This also drives the news writers to reach a dubious conclusion that producers can readily drive down impacts: if regional variation is so great, just source lower-emissions beef or emulate those methods, right? This is NOT a readily available mitigation measure though.
But this isn't realistic. The reality is that both regions contain both products, hence a mix of embedded GHG emissions. Because the model didn't differentiate beef product categories, it missed this.
October 21, 2025 at 5:46 PM
But this isn't realistic. The reality is that both regions contain both products, hence a mix of embedded GHG emissions. Because the model didn't differentiate beef product categories, it missed this.
Their simplified model assumptions cause the model to incorrectly flood groceries & restaurants in Chicago with culled dairy beef, while in Omaha they're full of marbled steaks & other cuts from angus steers, driving stark difference in emissions seen in their figure below, which are fictitious
October 21, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Their simplified model assumptions cause the model to incorrectly flood groceries & restaurants in Chicago with culled dairy beef, while in Omaha they're full of marbled steaks & other cuts from angus steers, driving stark difference in emissions seen in their figure below, which are fictitious
This may reflect a model-reality gap. Their FoodS3 model uses linear optimization to minimize total impedance (cost/distance) between processing facilities and final consumption locations. It's likely doing this regardless of what final products are *actually* being sold in each region.
October 21, 2025 at 5:46 PM
This may reflect a model-reality gap. Their FoodS3 model uses linear optimization to minimize total impedance (cost/distance) between processing facilities and final consumption locations. It's likely doing this regardless of what final products are *actually* being sold in each region.
Also, while they say they include feedlots, their supply chain example looks at NYC metro area, in which feedlots are completely missing. Realistically, many of these cattle were shipped to the midwest, then back to NYC for steakhouses, and premium beef products at grocers.
October 21, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Also, while they say they include feedlots, their supply chain example looks at NYC metro area, in which feedlots are completely missing. Realistically, many of these cattle were shipped to the midwest, then back to NYC for steakhouses, and premium beef products at grocers.
BUT the final lower-emission cuts from dairy cattle taste quite different than beef herds! The authors don't seem to recognize this, instead treating diverse beef product categories & preferences as a uniform "beef" commodity that they optimize a simple model to churn out & ship efficiently.
October 21, 2025 at 5:46 PM
BUT the final lower-emission cuts from dairy cattle taste quite different than beef herds! The authors don't seem to recognize this, instead treating diverse beef product categories & preferences as a uniform "beef" commodity that they optimize a simple model to churn out & ship efficiently.
For those who don't know: you can either produce beef from dedicated beef-only herds that don't produce dairy (e.g. angus) or from the male calves or exhausted cows from dairy herds (e.g. holstein). beef-from-dairy has fewer emissions because most effort & cost went to producing the milk, not meat.
October 21, 2025 at 5:46 PM
For those who don't know: you can either produce beef from dedicated beef-only herds that don't produce dairy (e.g. angus) or from the male calves or exhausted cows from dairy herds (e.g. holstein). beef-from-dairy has fewer emissions because most effort & cost went to producing the milk, not meat.
They claim that Chicago & Wisconsin get most of their beef from nearby dairies. But that's immediately suspicious. There are steakhouses in those areas! There are plenty restaurants that pride themselves on serving angus, which like >70% of US beef, must be coming from feedlots.
October 21, 2025 at 5:46 PM
They claim that Chicago & Wisconsin get most of their beef from nearby dairies. But that's immediately suspicious. There are steakhouses in those areas! There are plenty restaurants that pride themselves on serving angus, which like >70% of US beef, must be coming from feedlots.
The result is that, there's a large *modeled* difference between embodied emissions between beef consumed in different municipalities, like NYC vs. Chicago (> 2x), but that modeled difference that they claim is present is much larger than the much smaller variations that are present in reality.
October 21, 2025 at 5:46 PM
The result is that, there's a large *modeled* difference between embodied emissions between beef consumed in different municipalities, like NYC vs. Chicago (> 2x), but that modeled difference that they claim is present is much larger than the much smaller variations that are present in reality.