Empirical Science. Defensible Industry Commentary.
Bridging peer-reviewed livestock science, corporate carbon accounting methodologies, and practical agribusiness decision-making through published research, executive briefings, and international keynotes.
Peer-Reviewed Research & Academic Contributions
Grounding industry discussions in empirical methodologies, biogenic methane modeling, life cycle assessment, and whole-system agroecology.
Bridging the climate-corporate gap: utilizing GWP* with GWP100 for livestock companies’ greenhouse gas inventories
Demonstrates how incorporating warming-equivalent metrics (GWP*) alongside conventional cumulative metrics (GWP100) provides corporate boards and investors with a more scientifically accurate baseline for short-lived biogenic methane without compromising SBTi regulatory compliance.
Filling the sustainability gap: what beef industry stakeholders can learn from ranchers on new practice adoption, grazing management plans, and sustainability
An empirical assessment evaluating producer perceptions, economic drivers, and operational barriers to sustainability practice adoption across the beef supply chain—providing actionable insights to align corporate sustainability frameworks with on-the-ground management realities.
Grass-fed vs. grain-fed beef systems: performance, economic, and environmental trade-offs
Evaluating trade-offs across multiple grass- and grain-fed beef systems—including cattle performance, carcass quality, economics, and environmental footprints—demonstrates that no single production system holds absolute sustainability superiority.
How advances in animal efficiency and management have affected beef cattle’s water intensity in the United States: 1991 compared to 2019
Advances in cattle genetics, animal management, and crop irrigation reduce U.S. beef cattle blue water intensity by 38% and total water consumption by 29% between 1991 and 2019.
Keynote Presentations, Lectures & Media
Invited to deliver over 100 presentations on livestock sustainability to producers, academic institutions, corporate executives, policymakers, and media worldwide.
Featured Industry Keynotes
International and national keynote addresses on beef sustainability and systemic trade-offs.
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Cattle Australia National Annual MeetingQueensland, Australia
Keynote: Beef Sustainability: Realities, Challenges and Systematic Trade-offs.
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British Society of Animal ScienceGalway, Ireland
Keynote: Beyond the Carbon.
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Northern Mexican Cattle Feeders MeetingMonterrey, Mexico
Keynote: Balancing of the Systems.
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Saskatchewan Beef Industry ConferenceSaskatchewan, Canada
Keynote: Beef Sustainability: A Global Perspective.
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Arizona Cattle Growers AssociationArizona, USA
Keynote: Beyond the Carbon.
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Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef & Manitoba CattlemenCalgary & Manitoba, Canada
Keynote: Beef Sustainability: Realities, Challenges and Systematic Trade-offs.
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Center for Sustainability & the Global EnvironmentMadison, Wisconsin
Keynote: Westin Roundtable Series — Beef Sustainability: Realities, Challenges and Systematic Trade-offs.
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California-Arizona Cattle Feeders AssociationSan Diego, California
Featured Address: Beef Sustainability: Realities, Challenges and Systematic Trade-offs.
Academic Lectures & Media Highlights
University lectures, youth leadership, podcast features, and broadcast interviews.
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Harvard Business SchoolGuest Lecturer
Agribusiness sustainability, global livestock supply chains, agricultural myth-busting, and Net Zero corporate governance.
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Norman Borlaug Youth in AgricultureKeynote Speaker
Invited speaker at Texas A&M University engaging emerging leaders on agricultural sustainability and communication.
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Invited University LecturesLecturer
UC Davis, Texas A&M University, Colorado State University, University of Georgia, and the Culinary Institute of America.
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SharkFarmer Radio & PodcastBroadcast
Dr. Sarah Klopatek, Beef Scientist: Exploring environmental, performance, and nutritional trade-offs across grass- and grain-finished cattle.
Listen on Apple Podcasts → -
Cows on the Planet & Focus on AgPodcasts
Evaluations of environmental, economic, and animal performance trade-offs in pasture and feedlot production.
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Dairy Radio Now & Dietitians LiveInterviews
Dairy Radio Now: Helping Consumers Understand Agriculture. | Build Up Dietitians: Beef, Sustainability, and Labels: Decoding the Confusion.
Listen on Dairy Radio Now →
Strategic Perspectives on Livestock & Climate
Concise, defensible insights designed to help decision-makers navigate rapidly evolving environmental regulations and market claims.
Why Biogenic Methane Requires Dual-Metric Accounting
A breakdown of why relying exclusively on GWP100 mischaracterizes short-lived methane dynamics in corporate Scope 3 Net Zero targets.
Substantiating Regenerative Agriculture Claims
How cattle operations and food brands can build audit-ready protocols that withstand third-party certification and FTC greenwashing scrutiny.
Evaluating Biological & Carbon Trade-offs
Why focusing exclusively on single-metric carbon reduction can inadvertently compromise herd health, carcass yield, and long-term profitability.
Bring Defensible Science to Your Organization
Schedule Dr. Sarah C. Klopatek for executive briefings, keynote addresses, or custom empirical research.