Our hunger for meat
According to the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) farming creates 9% of the world’s human-caused CO2 emissions. And as the global population expands, emissions from agriculture and food will increase.
In the UK, farming, forestry and land management is responsible for 7% of total UK greenhouse gas emissions.
A report by the FAO says livestock, in particular beef, is one of the major causes of the world’s environmental problems. It estimates that livestock are responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions, more than those from transport.
Nearly 60 billion animals are used globally to produce meat, milk and eggs
The FAO explains that, “Most of the world’s animal production is carried out in industrial systems that make very heavy demands on natural resources of land and water in order to grow feed-crops for farmed areas.”
In fact, “One third of the world’s total arable land is dedicated to animal feed-crop production, over 90% of the world’s soya beans and 60% of maize and barley are grown for livestock feed. Deforestation is a major cause of CO2 emissions and loss of biodiversity. Deforestation in South America is largely driven by livestock production; 70% of previously forested land has been converted to livestock pastures and much of the remainder is used to grow feed crops.”
So where else does agricultural CO2 come from?
Electricity to power equipment, heat siphons in the winter and cool silos in the summer are responsible for a large chunk of energy. And heavy machinery used in arable farming – such as tractors and combine harvesters – also accounts for a lot of CO2. Feedstock and fertiliser manufacture, too, are very energy intensive.
FAO predicts that global meat and milk consumption could double between 2001 - 2050
Reducing worldwide emissions from agriculture is vitally important as the global population expands. Rising incomes and changing food choices are also increasing the demand for meat, milk and eggs.
According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, a diet consisting of less meat may reduce our environmental footprint. This would reduce both direct livestock emissions, and the pressure for land-use changes overseas for the production of feed for grain-fed livestock.
But, a vegetarian diet may not be the answer, either. It is thought that rice contributes up to an estimated 30% of the world’s man made methane emissions, a gas 21 times more powerful in its global-warming potential than CO2.
Key facts
- The average CO2 emissions for a person in the UK is estimated to be around ten tonnes a year
- Synthetic fertilisers used in today’s modern farming methods contributes between 2% and 3% to global greenhouse gas emissions.
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