Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's recent venture into cattle farming on his expansive Kauai, Hawaii property has sparked controversy, with critics arguing that it contributes to climate change.
The 39-year-old billionaire revealed on Instagram that he and his family are raising wagyu and angus cows on their multi-million-dollar Hawaiian estate, feeding them beer and macadamia nuts grown on their property, Koolau Ranch.
Zuckerberg's goal is to "create some of the highest quality beef in the world" through a locally sourced and vertically integrated process. "Were still early in the journey and its fun improving on it every season," he said, adding, "Of all my projects, this is the most delicious."
The tech mogul also emphasized the family-oriented nature of the project, sharing that his daughters have been involved in planting macadamia trees and caring for the animals. He posted a photo of one of his daughters, clad in a unicorn-print dress and Crocs, helping to plant a macadamia nut tree.
According to Zuckerberg, each of their animals will consume between 5,000 and 10,000 pounds of food annually, necessitating "lots of acres" of trees for harvesting. The practice of feeding cattle beer, while seemingly unusual, is not new. Illinois State University reports that farmers have long used beer and the leftover grain from brewing to feed their cattle, as it stimulates appetite and improves the end product. A 2015 HuffPost report also noted that feeding wagyu beer in hot weather is a traditional Japanese practice.
As for the use of macadamia nuts, the Journal of Animal Science has found that they can "successfully replace feed grains." Despite these traditional and scientifically backed practices, Zuckerberg's new hobby has been met with criticism on social media, particularly due to the methane gas produced by cows, which contributes to climate change.
Author Andrew Greenberg sarcastically praised Zuckerberg, saying, "You really fulfilled that dream of putting food in your mouth in the manner that causes the most climate change possible for a human being." Shalin Gala, an employee of PETA, also criticized the Facebook founder, writing, "Mark Zuckerberg says hes now started raising cattle at his property in Hawaii, feeding them beer, and then killing them. Mark, the Dark Ages called and it wants you back. #goVegan.
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