Sustainable farming could cut beef production emissions in half

About 10% of the world's greenhouse emissions come from cow farming. The study found that emissions from beef production could be reduced by 46% through environmental remediation, better livestock breeding and improved cow feed quality.

Livestock accounts for about 14% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the global economy, with 10% associated with beef production alone. Raising cows requires much more space and feed than raising poultry, pigs or other livestock, so emissions from such production are several times higher. First of all, we are talking about methane (CH4) emissions - the greenhouse effect of this gas is many times greater than the effect of carbon dioxide (CO2). At the same time, CO2 stays in the atmosphere much longer than CH4.

A group of scientists at Colorado State University report that sustainable farming can reduce the greenhouse emissions of global beef production by 46%. For example, mixing soils on farms with organic additives can increase carbon sequestration in the soil, and reforestation in grazing areas has a similar effect. The biggest potential for such practices is in Brazil, where the introduction of sustainable farming can reduce emissions from the beef industry by 57%.

Improving forage quality, improving livestock breeding and implementing sustainable practices on the land itself will help reduce livestock emissions, but such measures will not be enough to achieve carbon neutrality, the authors of the work say. Scientists note that one way to solve the problem is to reduce the global consumption of MEAT. Plus-one.ru said that by adding algae to cow feed, up to 82% of the sector's methane emissions can be reduced.

Brazil is home to the world's largest meat producer, JBS. Recently, the corporation announced its intention to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040. However, scientists emphasize that greenhouse emissions from the global livestock sector are declining too slowly, despite the key importance of this area in combating the climate crisis.