Livestock production and greenhouse gas emissions: Defining the problem and specifying solutions

Abstract

• Global livestock production contributes an estimated 18% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions mainly in terms of methane and nitrous oxide. Enteric fermentation from livestock amounts to 6.2 Gt of CO2 equivalents (4.4% of global emissions). These emissions are coming under scrutiny as countries improve emissions inventories and seek to include more sectors in binding emissions reductions. • Global agreements on GHG place no obligations on countries to include agriculture (i.e., livestock) in national inventories or mitigation (emissions reduction) plans. But research suggests a range of cost-effective approaches to reduce emissions from animals including dietary changes and improved productivity through breeding and methods of waste management. • Carbon footprinting has been used as a shorthand term to quantify emissions at a range of scales (e.g., the animal, farm, or, more commonly, the entire food chain). Life cycle analysis is a more technical approach to recording the environmental impact to be attributed to final products. • Policy incentives can target the farm or actors in product life cycles. Governments typically focus on farms, whereas supermarkets and other retailers focus on product life cycles as a means of engaging with consumer demands for low impact (per product unit) or sustainable products. • The growth of meat global consumption has highlighted the need to consider demand or consumption-side management, alongside production-side interventions. Emissions reductions from livestock production in the developing world offer significant synergies and a potential triple win, linking productivity gains, environmental conservation, and poverty alleviation.