Cattle farming is cited as a major contributor to climate change through impacts on global warming and the environment. But how bad is it?<\/p>
Although it’s clear that livestock agriculture is contributing to the climate crisis, global warming is a highly complex and multi-faceted issue needing holistic and considered solutions, says veterinary surgeons Hannah Davies and David Black from Vet Sustain<\/a>.<\/p> With a growing global population, now reaching over eight billion, it’s important that we consider how farmers, as custodians of the land and integral to our global food systems, can be part of regenerative and sustainable solutions.<\/p> Since the end of the Second World War, schemes to industrialise agriculture in a bid to produce cheaper food have had a significant impact on the environment.<\/p> Farming on a greater scale, promoting monoculture<\/a>, increasing the use of pesticides and fertilisers, and removal of hedgerows and other wildlife habitats have understandably contributed to a decline in biomass and diversity (Raven \u00a0and Wagner, 2021)<\/a>. <\/p> This intensification of cattle farming has resulted in larger farms with more cows – and as we know, more cows means more methane.\u00a0<\/p> Methane, along with carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and F-gases are known as greenhouse gases. These gases contribute directly to climate change through global warming, as they act to trap heat in the earth\u2019s atmosphere. <\/p> Methane, made up of 1 carbon atom and 4 hydrogen atoms, has many sources including extraction and burning of fossil fuels, agriculture, wetlands and decomposition of landfill waste. <\/p> Methane from ruminant agriculture is cited as the major contributor to global warming and climate change, responsible for 40-45% of global greenhouse gas emissions (Meale et al, 2012) and 47% of UK methane emissions (DEFRA, 2022).<\/a><\/p> It’s challenging to compare the direct impact that these different greenhouse gases have on global warming as they all behave differently when emitted into the environment. <\/p> Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 100 year period. However, importantly, the warming effect of methane is short-lived, degrading in the atmosphere within 12 years compared to carbon dioxide, which remains for centuries. <\/p> This means that increases in methane will have a rapid, significant effect on global warming, but a reducing methane output will, conversely, quickly contribute to global cooling; a decline of any methane source at a rate of more than 0.3% per year is all that it would take. <\/p> The UN\u00a0wants a shift<\/a>\u00a0away from outsized meat and dairy industries, especially in high-income countries. <\/p> Per gram of protein, ruminant<\/a> meat has the highest average global carbon footprint, many times greater than plant-based foods. <\/p><\/blockquote> Therefore, a gradual reduction of total global livestock numbers alongside improved health, welfare, lifespan and productivity are important. This, alongside sustainable farming with a regenerative mindset, ‘sinking’ carbon back into trees, crops<\/a> and soils<\/a>, means that farmers are instrumental in reversing climate change.<\/p> Per gram of protein, ruminant<\/a> meat has the highest average global carbon footprint, many times greater than plant-based foods. <\/p> However, global GHG emission averages can mislead and do not represent the impact of local agriculture \u2013\u00a0for example, the carbon footprint of UK milk production<\/a> is less than half the global average. \u00a0<\/p> Carbon footprint varies greatly depending on location and production system used, and comparing the carbon footprint of different foodstuffs is complex due to their varying nutritional composition and health benefits (e.g. a beef burger has a very different protein and amino acid profile to a plant-based burger).<\/p> Cattle<\/a>, sheep<\/a>, goats, deer<\/a> and camels <\/a>are ruminant animals. Ruminants<\/a> are characterised by their digestive system, which consists of four stomachs, allowing them to ferment their food. <\/p> This fermentation process creates methane, which is then belched out or excreted with their faeces. The methane produced from agriculture is largely from this enteric fermentation<\/a> process. However, it is important to note that this source of methane is part of the\u00a0biogenic carbon cycle, and is not adding \u2018new\u2019 carbon to the atmosphere, unlike fossil fuels, which are.<\/p> Feeding and nutrition are important to minimise methane without impacting health or production. There are feed additives such as saponins, condensed tannins or essential oils that can reduce methane production. \u00a0<\/p> A commercial product is becoming widely available across Europe named Bovaer, which contains a compound called 3-NOP, which targets one of the key enzyme pathways in the rumen<\/a>. There is also optimism for the addition of red seaweed<\/a> in cattle diets with trials indicating reductions of between 60 and 98% \u2013 research is ongoing.<\/p> Most recently, scientists have proposed that genetically modifying the rumen microbes themselves using CRISPR technology could be another angle to reduce methane production.<\/p> As demand for meat and milk protein increases, driven largely by aspiring developing countries, farming has a fundamental role in future food security. <\/p> Farmers, as custodians of our rural land spaces, are integral to this through employing efficient, sustainable and regenerative farming methods. \u00a0<\/p> ‘Regenerative Agriculture\u2019 is a commonly used term, referring to a mindset based on six core principles:\u00a0<\/p> By choosing the appropriate type of farming for the location and conditions, and employing regenerative principles to improve environmental outcomes, animal welfare and human wellbeing, farmers can be part of the solution to the global climate crisis we are currently facing.<\/p> Sustainable farming systems play an essential role in tackling the climate and ecological crises, and as members of the vet-led team involved in animal agriculture, we are in a unique position to take action and inspire others. <\/p>Why is cattle farming so bad for the environment?<\/h2>
What is methane?<\/h2>
How does methane compare to other greenhouse gases?<\/h2>
How long does methane last in the atmosphere?<\/h2>
How can cattle farmers reduce methane?<\/h2>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/09\/How-is-methane-produced.jpg\")
Could we feed cows differently to reduce methane?<\/h2>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/09\/Hereford-cow-and-calf.jpg\")
What can farmers do to help the environment and biodiversity?<\/h2>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/09\/VetSalus-Mindset-Visual.jpg\")