There has long been criticism of the beef industry. It is, unfortunately, not as simple a situation as Miss Joanna Tan Si Min paints it to be ("Eat less beef to go green, get healthy"; Jan 6).

Beef is highly nutritious and contains close to every nutrient needed for human survival.

However, the problem lies not in eating beef, but the method by which beef is produced.

The farming of cattle for beef will not stop any time soon - it is part and parcel of uncountable cultures and livelihoods.

So, if we wish to be pragmatic about things, we should instead suggest changes to the beef production systems.

The issue of beef is a complex one, more so when you throw environmental protection into the equation, which brings more technical factors into play - and these variables cannot be easily accounted for in studies.

Let us bear in mind that nutritional needs vary from person to person, as do farming practices from place to place.

Ryan Wee