Ĭhanges in demand for meat will influence how much is produced, thus changing the environmental impact of meat production. Multiple studies have found that increases in meat consumption are currently associated with human population growth and rising individual incomes or GDP, and therefore, the environmental impacts of meat production and consumption will increase unless current behaviours change.

Consumption and production trends Cereal-use statistic showing an estimated large fraction of crops used as fodder Nutritional value and environmental impact of animal products, compared to agriculture overall CategoriesĬontribution of farmed animal product A significant reduction in meat consumption is essential to mitigate climate change, especially as the human population increases by a projected 2.3 billion by the middle of the century. Together with methane and nitrous oxide from manure, this makes livestock the main source of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. Cows, sheep, and other ruminants digest their food by enteric fermentation, and their burps are the main source of methane emissions from land use, land-use change, and forestry. The livestock sector also includes wool, egg and dairy production, the livestock used for tillage, and fish farming.Īnimal agriculture is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Meat is obtained through a variety of methods, including organic farming, free-range farming, intensive livestock production, and subsistence agriculture. Animal agriculture, in particular meat production, can cause pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, disease, and significant consumption of land, food, and water. Despite this, all agricultural practices have been found to have a variety of effects on the environment to some extent.

The environmental impacts of animal agriculture vary because of the wide variety of agricultural practices employed around the world. Examples of environmental impacts of animal agriculture, clockwise from top left: Meat production is a main driver of deforestation in Venezuela Pigs in intensive farming Testing Australian sheep for exhaled methane production to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture Farms often pump their animal waste directly into a large lagoon, which has environmental consequences.

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