Fact check: Where does beef from US come from

1. Summary of the results

Beef in the US comes from both domestic and international sources. The US is the world's largest beef producer, accounting for 20.44% of global production ^[1]. Domestically, beef production occurs through a complex system involving:

• Cow-calf operations in the Great Plains, Corn Belt, Southwest, and Pacific Northwest ^[2]
• Large ranches across multiple states, particularly in Texas, Florida, Montana, Wyoming, and New Mexico ^[3]
• Notable operations like King Ranch, Waggoner Ranch, and Diamond A Ranch, spanning hundreds of thousands of acres ^[4]

For imports, the US relies on several countries, with the following breakdown of beef imports in 2022 ^[2]:

• Canada (29%)
• Mexico (22%)
• Brazil (14%)
• Australia (12%)
• New Zealand (12%)

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question overlooks several important aspects of US beef production:

• The multi-stage production system: Cattle go through various stages including weaning, stocker programs, preconditioning, backgrounding, and feedlots before reaching market weight ^[2]
• Scale diversity: US ranches range from family-owned farms to corporate-owned mega ranches ^[5]
• Land use: Major ranches operate on vast territories, ranging from 130,000 to 825,000 acres ^[3]
• Import necessity: Despite being the largest producer, the US still needs to import about 10% of its beef supply (as of 2021) to meet specific demands, such as lean trimmings for ground beef ^[1]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question's simplicity could lead to incomplete understanding of the complex US beef industry. Several stakeholders have vested interests in how this information is presented:

• Large agricultural corporations benefit from emphasizing domestic production and downplaying imports
• Environmental groups have concerns about meat production's impact, though specific details aren't provided in the analyses ^{[6] [7]}
• International trade partners have significant economic interests in maintaining beef export relationships with the US
• Family farms vs. corporate ranches: The narrative around US beef production can be skewed depending on which type of operation is emphasized ^[5]

The analyses suggest there's significant misinformation surrounding meat production in general ^{[6] [7]}, though the specific nature of this misinformation isn't detailed in the provided sources.