How Livestock Farming Contributes to Greenhouse Gas Emissions

April 20, 2023

Sophia van Zonneveld

A study conducted in 2022 found that livestock farming was responsible for 14.5% of human-generated greenhouse gas emissions. Among these greenhouse gases, some of the most harmful to the environment include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). Although most of the population has an understanding of the toll that livestock farming has on the environment, often times the problem is dismissed as simple gases emitted by cows, when in reality the livestock industry is much more complex than that. The industry has layers to it, and greenhouse gas emissions all add up, not simply to be a number or percentage, but to be a threat to the well-being of the planet, consequently affecting our lives in ways we don’t even realize.

So how exactly does the livestock industry produce so many greenhouse gas emissions?

The industry was built in order to meet the ever-increasing demand for animal products, requiring a complex system with many parts to it. The first and most obvious part of this system is the emissions produced by the livestock themselves. Ruminant animals such as cows, goats, and sheep emit methane as they digest grasses and plants through a process called “enteric fermentation”. This natural digestive process involves the decomposition and fermentation of the food the animal has consumed, producing methane as a by-product. Methane production of ruminant animals accounts for as much as 30% of global methane emissions, and a single cow can belch an approximate 220 pounds of methane. The emissions per unit are affected by external factors such as temperature, animal size, and feed quality, bringing us to the next issue in the industry, production of food for livestock.

The production of food for cattle is another major contributor to the greenhouse gas emissions produced by the livestock industry. This factor is often overlooked as a less important part of the industry, when in reality, it is responsible for countless harmful emissions. One reason behind this is the application of harmful chemicals in fertilizers and pesticides. These chemicals often emit greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide and ground-level ozone. Despite harmful effects of pesticides being understood by a large portion of the population, the high demand for animal products calls for an increase in agricultural production.

In addition to pesticides, cattle feed production has created a deforestation problem, seeing as growing more food required more land. The cutting down of trees releases the CO2 that was once stored in the trees back to the atmosphere. Therefore, the clearing of a large area for pastureland immediately releases an unchecked amount of CO2. The problem of deforestation also increases CO2 emissions in the long term, seeing as the land is used to grow food that could not store nearly as much CO2 as trees could.

So, how do greenhouse gases harm the environment?

Greenhouse gases create a heat-reflective layer in the earth’s atmosphere, which essentially traps the heat and retains it in the atmosphere. This trapping of heat results in drastic changes to weather patterns, consequentially affecting human health, agriculture, water resources, forests, wildlife, coastal areas, and many other areas of concern. Greenhouse gases are also characterized by their long-lifetime in the atmosphere, meaning that even after hundreds of years after being released, those same greenhouse gases will remain in the atmosphere.

Although everyone is being affected by climate change to a great extent, it disproportionately impacts low income countries. The World Bank estimates that the 74 lowest income countries are only responsible for one tenth of global greenhouse gas emissions, however, they are the ones most affected by this. The effects brought about by climate change have forced more than 200 million people to migrate, and has pushed 130 million people into poverty. So even if climate change and greenhouse gas emissions are not as great of a concern in certain countries, that does not mean that the problem is not there.

Is there any hope for the future if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase and cause harm to the environment?

With the ever-increasing population and demand for animal products, it is difficult to imagine a systematic change that can slow down global warming and offer hope for the future. However, both individuals and corporations can contribute to the fight against climate change through a wide range of actions.

These actions do not necessarily mean making everyone vegan and eradicating all livestock farming. Individuals can take small actions such as reducing food waste and animal meat consumption, which in turn reduces the individual demand for meat production. It is true that one person going vegan will not solve the problem, but if everyone is to work together to become more conscious about meat consumption, the impacts of climate change will become less catastrophic.

As for corporations and large-scale companies that control livestock farming, there are a variety of solutions they can implement into their meat production. New and emerging technologies such as gene editing and sustainable waste management offer the opportunity to revolutionize the agriculture industry. Rather than focusing on producing more and more products for consumption, corporations must re-evaluate their methods of production and implement appropriate strategies to tackle greenhouse gas emissions.