Ted Turner's Bison

Corporate America is also evolving as it adjusjsts busineiess practices to embrace conservation. Many American banks, for example, have committed to the World Wildlife Fund's Equator Principles, limiting investment only to companies and projects committed to environmental protection. WalVlart now only sells fish it has bought from sources t that practice sustainable harvesting methods, as certified by the Marine Stewardship Council. Increasingly, business leaders regard our forests and wetlands as ecological assets that must be protected to support human life, public positions ±at their mainstream customers applaud.

An excellent example of America's new environmental enterprise is demonstrated by the experience of media mogul Ted Turner who invested some of his vast fortune to ranch the American bison, an ungulate adapted to the dry western ecosystem in Montana. Bison are easier on the land than cattle and are a source of leaner, healthier meat. Turner owns about 40,000 head, more bison than any person or government. He buys western land and devotes a portion of this property to his growing population of bison. Recently, he opened Ted's Montana Grill, a restaurant chain with locations in many states ±at serves primarily bison burgers, a delectable sandwich, stimulating the market for his innovative meat products.

Bison has not replaced beef by a long shot, but Turner's new enterprise is a creative response to the challenge of gently using the natural assets of ±e western frontier. No one forced Turner to ranch bison instead of cattle, but by producing a healthy, ecofiriendly dinner staple, he provided a uniquely sustainable solution to the problem of farming arid land. Similarly, African entrepreneurs have ranched local forms of livestock, Ankole cattle, for example, associated with the Tutsi tribe in Central Africa, and other local wildlife to protect their soil and plants against the harsher effect of imported beef cattle. Throughout the world, the preference for indigenous and suitably adapted local livestock has proved to be a better ranching practice as these animals can use sparse vegetation and require less water to survive.

Newt Gingrich, Terry Maple, A contract with the Earth (2007-09-24)

• capitalism
• conservation
• environmentalism