Environmental Impact of Meat Industry – Current Status and Future Perspectives

Abstract

This paper gives an overview of the environmental impact of the meat chain. This industry has a significant impact on the environment and current scientific research outlines three main perspectives – product-based using life cycle assessment as a tool; process-based exploring the main environmental aspects and; systems–based, analyzing the rationale for environmental management. Environmental impacts influence three dimensions – climate change, consumption of natural resources and environmental pollution. Future research should focus on environmental impacts of the meat chain expressed in terms of existing and newly developed environmental indicators and identifying solutions for decreasing the overall environmental impact.