Environmental Sustainability of Livestock Production

Abstract

The environmental impact of livestock production has become an important and controversial global issue, pri- marily due to reported impacts on global warming. This concern applies to all meat animals, but especially beef cattle due to their emission of enteric methane. Livestock production contributes to global warming, but the importance of its contri- bution may be overstated. Its effect on climate is primarily through methane production, which does not have a long-term effect on the atmosphere. Global livestock numbers and emissions from their manure are increasing, so there is a short-term effect through increased rate of emission. Other effects of meat production may be of more concern for long-term sustain- ability. Through a full life cycle of meat, the dominant impact is loss and waste, which adversely effects all measures of sustainability. An important environmental concern is reactive nitrogen losses, among which ammonia emission from manure is of most concern. Global estimates suggest that 63% of all ammonia emissions come from agriculture, with 44% of the total from livestock manure. Ammonia emissions have adverse effects related to acidification of ecosystems, eutrophication of surface waters, and human toxicity through formation of small particulate matter in the air we breathe. Water consumption is another important concern. Global estimates suggest that agriculture uses about 70% of freshwater withdrawals, with 20% used for livestock feed production. Although livestock production is not a large energy consumer, fossil fuels are a limited resource, and conservation is important. Many technologies and strategies exist for mitigating environmental impacts of livestock production, but finding economical solutions is challenging. Mitigation must start with the reduction of consumer waste. Other livestock impacts are best reduced using intensive practices to produce animals in less time and with fewer resources. Diets that accurately meet animal nutrient needs are an important mitigation option for efficient and sustainable meat production.

Investigating the Growth Effect of Carbon-Intensive Economic Activities on Economic Growth: Evidence from Angola

“…As the world's livestock numbers and manure emissions increase, so will the emission rate. Other impacts of livestock farming on longterm sustainability are reactive nitrogen losses, of which ammonia emissions from manure are the most worrisome [14]. Figures indicate that agriculture and livestock manure provide 63% and 44% of ammonia emissions, which can adversely affect ecosystem acidification, surface water eutrophication, and human toxicity [14].…”

Modeling the environmental impacts of Asparagopsis as feed, a cow toilet and slurry acidification in two synthetic dairy farms

“…To curb climate change and to keep global warming below the 2 °C target compared to preindustrial levels, as agreed in the Paris Agreement, a transformation of social and economic practices and the integration of cost-effective measures to prevent, mitigate and reduce emissions are recommended in all sectors [ 1 ]. Agriculture is an important contributor to negative impacts on the environment, such as global warming, eutrophication and acidification, causing detrimental impacts at the local and global levels [ 2 ]. The agricultural sector in the European Union (EU) is responsible for 90 % of its total ammonia emissions (NH 3 ), which mainly occur from manure management and the application of mineral fertilizers.…”

Assessing citizens’ views on the importance of animal welfare and other sustainability aspects in livestock farming using best–worst scaling

“…At the same time, livestock farming affects the environment and human health (Post et al, 2020). It is one of the most polluting human activities (Tabassum-Abbasi et al, 2016) and contributes to global warming and water consumption (Rotz, 2020). Furthermore, it is associated with the occurrence of zoonotic infections in humans (Tomley and Shirley, 2009).…”