We are currently sophomores studying U.S. history at The Athenian School in Danville. We are quite concerned about the state of the water crisis. In addition to your new water restrictions, we have thought of another idea that could help preserve our precious resource. We think it is imperative that, because of the severity of the drought, every measure must be considered. Our research has shown that to protect the water of California, we need to look at an alternate form of water conservation, specifically targeted towards agriculture and livestock. To save water, we as a state must cut water from livestock by switching to goat meat because of a variety of advantages. A few of these include water savings, health benefits, and general improvement of the environment.

In an article from UCLA: Institute of Environment and Sustainability “Graywater - A potential Source of Water” states that about 80% of California’s water is used in agriculture, while the urban sector only uses about 12%. If the drought gets worse, we as Californians, will have to take more drastic measures to conserve water. Cattle consume the most amount of water per pound than any other animal that is bred for slaughter. According to a National Geographic article called “The Hidden Water We Use,” a single pound of beef exhausts an average of 1,799 gallons of water, whereas a pound of goat meat requires 127 gallons of water, which means that a single pound of beef uses more than 14 times as much water than a pound of goat. According to an article on IGROW: A Service of SDSU Extension, the average amount of edible meat from a steer is about 740-770 lbs. This means that an average cow requires 1,331,260-1,385,230 gallons of water. While the amount of meat on a goat is dramatically less, the amount of water needed to produce the same amount of meat is less. The average yield of a goat carcass is roughly 45%-50% of the weight. There are a lot of different breeds of goats, but the average amount of saleable meat weighs roughly 45 pounds. So, the amount of water needed to produce 750 pounds of goat meat is roughly 93, 980 gallons. As well, a chart comparing goat and cow milk on Prevention.com, shows that goat milk has more calcium, magnesium, protein, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C than cow milk. While it may be a little higher in calories, it still has less sugar per serving. In an article written by Dr. Thomas Cooke in 2010 about “The Benefits of Goat Milk vs. Cow Milk,” he provides 5 major reasons why goat milk is better for people: it is less allergenic, it is homogenized naturally (unlike cow milk), easier to digest, it very rarely is a cause of lactose intolerance, and most importantly, it is a better match to the human body. This can help with our nation’s issue of obesity. Dr. Ken Tudor stated in his article on PetMd, “Why Aren’t We Eating More Goat?” that goat meat is a type of lean meat and the only meats lower in fat calories per serving are codfish, bison, and turkey. Goat cheese is rising in popularity; an article on The Guardian, “The Great Goat’s Cheese Shortage of 2014” demonstrates the increased demand for goat cheese due to the recent demand for goat milk. Research from Michigan State University shows that goat meat is one of the most widely eaten meats in the world. Unfortunately, in the United States there is a stigma associated with eating goat meat.

In addition to goat products being of high demand and better for people’s health, they also take less of a toll on the environment. Goats have a smaller footprint because they browse instead of graze. According to PetMD.com, goats are “capable of turning more woody and broad leafed plants into adequate nutrition” and do not require as much intensely produced food to remain healthy. This will be cheaper for people who raise goats and lower the amount of water used per goat. According to Dr. Sandra G. Solaiman’s research report on the “Assessment of the Meat Goat Industry and Future Outlook for U.S. Small Farms,” within the last 20 years, the global population of goats has increased by 10% and there was a large rise in demand for goat meat in the United States during 1990-2000. With different ethnic groups continuing to grow in the United States and a rise in the number of people introduced to goat meat, the demand will continue to increase.

As the drought has remained a serious problem for the last few years, my classmates and I are attempting to help our beautiful state. We propose that in order to raise awareness, we can issue a few public announcements. For example, we can use billboards along freeways to advertise that people should choose goat products over cow products and also ask local news publication to advertise our campaign. Another way to push for people to make the switch, would be for the government to issue mail-in rebates with the purchase of any goat products. Regarding farmers in California who raise cattle, the government should subsidize the farmers for discontinuing breeding and/or moving their cattle across the nation to a state that is not suffering from the drought. This way, farmers will hopefully decide to voluntarily move their cattle or decrease the number of steer on their farms. If there is a decrease in cows on farmland, the land can be used to grow crops that require less water or to raise more goats for consumption and other food production. Along with an increase of goats will come an increase in their consumption due to consumers wishing to support their local farmers. Hopefully, our ideas on decreasing the use of water for agricultural purposes will help the state in using water for more serious issues. We are grateful that you are taking measures to conserve the little water left, but hopefully this campaign will bring awareness of the water used on livestock.

HOW CAN YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE? Anyone can make a difference by making the switch to goat, or at least trying some goat products instead of their usual choices. Knowing that you are doing your best to conserve water is all that we would ask. If you can and are willing to make the switch, that would be fantastic, but as long as you are aware of your water usage from food you are doing your part!