Nicolette Hahn Niman is the author of a new updated edition of "Defending Beef: The Case for Sustainable Meat Production." The book essentially has two parts. The first section tackles the assertion that meat production is inherently bad for the environment. The second addresses health concerns about meat consumption. We address meat myths:

• Meat causes heart disease

• Meat causes cancer

• Meat production is harmful to the environment

• Livestock contributes significantly to global warming

• Meat substitutes are healthier and better for the planet

• With limited resources and an expanding world population, meat production is neither economical nor sustainable.

Foes of meat have weaponized environmental concerns to buttress their argument that meat is bad. They have found willing enablers in powerful agribusiness conglomerates and Big Food entities who are happy to transform cheap soy, wheat and corn crops into highly processed staples. Hahn Niman counters “Regenerative farming with livestock that looks like nature and produces nutrient-rich food, is the answer.”