The Sustainability of Bison Production in North America: A Scoping Review

Abstract

The American bison (Bison bison) is iconic of the Great Plains of North America, yet the genus has had to overcome near extinction in the recent past prior to being re-established for food production. This scoping review summarizes the literature on the Plains Bison as a large ruminant species adequate for modern-day meat production in order to evaluate the species’ appropriateness as a sustainable meat source and to identify knowledge gaps hindering the sustainability evaluation of bison production. To date, we can anecdotally assume that bison husbandry could contribute to sustainability based on its positive contribution to biodiversity, physiological robustness, economically higher price per kg, and nutritive values, despite their decreased growth and performance rates compared to beef cattle. However, targeted and system-based research is required in order to unequivocally assess the sustainability of bison production in North America.

The impact of bison reintroduction on local economies

“…Second, this paper focuses on bison herds that have been restored and managed for conservation purposes on largely public or non-profit lands. The commercial bison industry has also expanded in the past few decades in the U.S. (Tielkes and Altmann 2021). Some commercial bison ranchers provide (agri)tourism opportunities in addition to meat production, which may mitigate the effects of reintroducing conservation bison herds in the same region.…”