More and more people are going vegeterian or vegan in an effort to help fight climate change. But is a meatless diet really better for the planet?.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) says that meat consumption has grown a lot in the last few decades, with almost double the amount eaten by each person since the early 1960s. Whereas an average of 23. 1 kilograms (50. 8 pounds) of meat per person were consumed annually in the 60s, the figure had risen to 43. 2 kilograms in 2019. Studies show that wealthier countries tend to consume more meat. Projections show that per capita meat consumption in industrialized nations is projected to climb to 69. 5 kilograms in 2022 — the projected figure for the developing world is just 27. 6 kilograms.
The impact of beef production on climate change has become a hot topic recently, But just how much are cattle and the beef supply chain contributing to global greenhouse gas emissions and global warming? Let’s examine the evidence,
Greenhouse Gases from Beef Production
Cattle raised for beef generate methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, through their natural digestive processes. Methane is 25-100 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere. Beef cattle specifically account for 41% of the livestock sector’s methane emissions.
Additional methane and nitrous oxide emissions come from manure Chemical fertilizers used to grow feed crops for cattle also emit nitrous oxide
Deforestation for new pastures and cattle grazing land is another major concern. Trees absorb and store carbon as they grow. When cut down, that carbon is released back into the atmosphere.
According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization:
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Beef production’s greenhouse gas emissions were 2.9 billion tonnes CO2-equivalent in 2010. This includes emissions from beef production processes and from related land use changes.
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This represents at least 14% of total global greenhouse gas emissions in 2010. Some experts estimate the figure is likely closer to 20%.
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Brazil, China, and the USA are the world’s top beef producing countries. They generate roughly 43% of beef’s global greenhouse gas emissions.
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If current beef production and consumption trends continue, beef-related emissions could increase by 39% by 2050 due to agricultural expansion.
Compared to Other Emission Sources
To put beef’s contributions in perspective:
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14-18% of global emissions is comparable to the greenhouse gas outputs of major economies like the European Union or India.
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It exceeds the emissions shares of sectors like iron and steel (7%), road transportation (5%), aviation (2%), and shipping (2%).
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But electricity and heat generation (31%) along with agriculture as a whole (19%) remain larger emission sources than beef specifically.
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Per gram of protein, beef production requires 20 times more land and emits 20 times more emissions than plant proteins like beans.
Effects on Global Warming
The cumulative impact of ongoing methane and carbon dioxide emissions from cattle is substantial:
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Since 1961, beef production has been responsible for 3.4 gigatonnes of cumulative carbon dioxide emissions.
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Approximately 161 million hectares of forest have been cleared for livestock grazing land since 1990.
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Tropical deforestation for cattle ranching emits over 2.5 billion tonnes of CO2 per year.
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By 2050, beef-related deforestation could add up to 70 gigatonnes of cumulative carbon emissions.
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If beef-related deforestation ended today, up to 8 gigatonnes of future emissions could be avoided by 2050.
Without curbing beef consumption and production, these massive emissions will continue accelerating climate change:
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More recurrent heat waves, droughts, wildfires and extreme weather events.
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Melting polar ice caps and rising sea levels threatening coastal cities.
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Ocean acidification and coral reef declines.
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Shifting agricultural zones and disrupted food supplies.
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Increased poverty, conflict and migration.
Projected Increases
As the global population grows toward 10 billion by 2050, demand for beef and cattle products is projected to rise by over 40% from current levels. This continued growth would have alarming impacts:
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Beef production’s greenhouse gas emissions could rise 38% from 2010 levels by 2050.
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Over 400 million hectares of additional land could be converted for cattle grazing and feed crop expansion. This is an area larger than India.
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Vast carbon-rich ecosystems like the Amazon rainforest will face accelerated pressures for conversion to cattle pastures.
Without action to curb demand in some nations and improve production practices, the climate consequences of expanded beef production could undermine global Paris Agreement emissions goals.
While exact estimates vary, beef production accounts for at least 14% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions when including related land use changes. Per gram of protein, beef requires 20 times more resources and generates 20 times more emissions than common plant proteins. As the global appetite for beef grows, the industry’s vast carbon hoofprint could expand by 38% by 2050. Curbing beef consumption and deforestation are essential to control cattle’s outsized contributions to climate change.
Does avoiding meat slow down global warming?
Examining greenhouse gas emissions tied to livestock farming does not tell us everything about the impact of meat consumption on the climate. As such, comparing greenhouse gas emission from plant-based and animal-based foods is more insightful. A 2021 study published in Nature Food did just this.
According to the study, plant-based foods only make up 22.9 percent of the greenhouse gases released by the global food industry. 557 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the industry are linked to raising cows, pigs, and other animals, as well as making feed for them. About a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions from the food industry come from beef production. The next most polluting crop is rice, which makes more greenhouse gases than chicken, pork, lamb, mutton, and dairy.
The study analyzes total global greenhouse gas emissions for each food product. A more nuanced pictures emerges when one studies the environmental impact in producing just 1 kilogram of the different foods. With 99.48 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalents per kilogram, beef production remains the biggest source of greenhouse gases. This is more than double the carbon dioxide equivalents per kilogram linked to lamb and mutton production (39.72 kilograms).
Pork and poultry production show lower carbon dioxide equivalents, at 12. 31 kilograms and 9. 87 per kilogram of meat, respectively. Both also emit fewer emissions than cheese production (23. 88 kilograms) and fish farming (13. 63 kilograms). This means that greenhouse gas emissions vary considerably depending on the kind of meat produced and consumed. Switching from eating beef to consuming poultry, for example, already result in fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Today, an average 9 kilograms of beef are consumed every day, resulting in 0. 8 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents. If Europeans and North Americans were to forgo eating beef, they would cut 1. 2 tons and 3. 3 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents, respectively.
How does livestock contribute to global warming?
According to FAO data, 14. 5% of all greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans come from livestock farming, which releases not only carbon dioxide (CO2) but also methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), two gases that are thought to play a similar role to CO2 in causing global warming. Methane and nitrous oxide don’t stay in the air as long as carbon dioxide, but they are still about 25 and 300 times more likely to warm the climate, respectively. To compare the impact of different greenhouse gases, a carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq) is typically calculated.
Cattle farms are a major source of greenhouse gases: Rupert Oberhäuser/dpa/picture alliance
Most emissions in livestock farming come from making feed (58% of emissions) and going through the digestive systems of animals (31% of emissions). Ruminants like cattle, sheep, and goats produce a lot of methane. A big part of greenhouse gas emissions comes from processing and transporting manure (7%), as well as storing it (4%). About 287 percent of methane and nitrous oxide emissions in livestock farming come from cattle farming, which is the most common type of livestock farming.
These numbers are for livestock farming as a whole, which includes things like dairy farming, making cheese, gelatin, and wool. A large percentage of methane emissions, for example, is linked to dairy cows.
The amount of greenhouse gases released by livestock farming is about the same as the amount released by the transportation sector (about 2015% of global greenhouse gases).
How Meat Production Contributes to Climate Change
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