Regardless of the species – cattle, poultry, pigs and more – a livestock farmer’s top priority is keeping animals healthy. It’s an ethical obligation, a passion and critical to providing safe, wholesome protein to people around the world. But healthy animals can also improve the health of our planet. That may come as a surprise given the ongoing conversation about animal agriculture’s environmental footprint.
So, how does modern livestock farming contribute to sustainability, addressing pressing climate challenges?
We see progress on many fronts.
Antibiotics and Vaccines
We all know how important antibiotics and vaccines are to human health. They’re just as important in animal agriculture to keep animals healthy, which can benefit the planet.
If an animal becomes sick or dies, more animals are needed to meet the global demand for protein. Raising more animals means more grain must be planted, fertilized, watered and transported. Allowing farmers and veterinarians to prevent disease with livestock vaccines or treat sick animals with antibiotics contributes to safe food, conserves our natural resources and reduces emissions.
In fact, a recent United Nations report states, “there is growing evidence that addressing specific diseases and health conditions in livestock can play a crucial role in reducing GHG emissions.”
Animal Feed
I’m personally excited about advancements in animal feed. A variety of dietary supplements and feed alternatives are being trialed to assess whether they can reduce emissions of methane (a potent greenhouse gas) from livestock.
Supplements being considered include oils, fats, probiotics, nitrates, enzymes, marine algae and plant extracts. Other additives can reduce the number of bacteria that produce methane in the rumen (the largest stomach chamber of ruminant animals such as cattle, sheep and goats).
What farmers feed livestock can reduce food waste. The pulp from orange juice is just one example. If it weren’t for cows, the leftover citrus pulp would likely end up in our landfills and, according to the USDA, when food ends up in landfills it generates methane. Data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows that food waste is the single most common material landfilled.
Other byproducts used to feed livestock are sugar beet pulp, wheat bran remains and palm kernel meal. In addition, foods that are imperfect or in surplus are also fed to livestock, such as potatoes, chocolate, breads, cookies, breakfast cereals and even potato chips.
What’s considered waste for human food can often become a delicious part of a balanced diet for livestock.
Better Genetics
Animal agriculture is continuously looking to improve the genetics of animals. Selecting and breeding animals for feed efficiency, good fertility and improved health has a positive impact on the environment.
Thanks to high standards of animal care and better genetics, today’s animals produce more meat, milk and eggs per animal. In other words, fewer animals are needed to produce the same amount of food, which translates to a lower carbon footprint.
For example, the amount of milk produced per cow in the U.S. has increased each year since 1999, from 17.76 thousand pounds per year to around 24.1 thousand pounds in 2023.
The broiler industry (chickens raised for meat) has an impressive story to tell. According to the National Chicken Council, the market weight of a bird was 2.5 pounds in 1925. In 2023, that number is 6.5. Also, in 1925, it took 4.7 pounds of feed per pound of bird to bring to market weight. Today, it takes only 1.75 pounds of feed per pound of bird.
Increased productivity and improved animal health can reduce global livestock emissions by 30%, according to the UN. The Oxford Analytica report released in 2023 states that a 10% fall in livestock disease levels globally is associated with an 800 million ton decrease in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Other Sustainable Practices
Many farmers raising livestock today also grow crops like corn and soybeans, which are used to feed their animals. The manure from those animals is responsibly used as part of manure management plans to fertilize crops in a continuous, sustainable cycle, reducing the need for production and transportation of additional fertilizer, which comes with its own carbon footprint.
How farmers store, apply and dispose of manure is important, too, not only reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but addressing air and water quality.
More livestock farmers are investing in technology like anaerobic digesters that turn livestock manure into fuel, providing power for surrounding communities (and odorless fertilizer for fields).
In addition, some farmers are now incorporating more energy efficient technologies in barns, engines, tractors and the like, and are taking advantage of renewable energies like biomass, hydro, solar and wind power.
The Truth About Animal Ag and Climate Change
While the finger is often pointed at animal agriculture as a major contributor to climate change, the reality is its carbon footprint is relatively small compared to other sectors of the economy.
The EPA estimates that transportation, power production and industry emit a combined 76 percent of all GHGs in the U.S., while agriculture contributes 10% of total U.S. emissions.
Can animal agriculture do better? Yes, and farmers continually look to new research and innovation to improve animal health and incorporate sustainable practices on the farm.
Take dairy as an example. Over the past seven decades, the industry has reduced land use by 90%, feed use by 77% and water use by 65% for each glass of milk produced. Compared to the 1960s, pig farmers today use 76% less land, use 25% less water, have reduced their carbon footprint by almost 8% and have reduced energy use by 7%.
(Learn more about the sustainability of the meat you’re eating is in my blog, “The Role of Animal Health in Environmental Health.”)
Keeping animals healthy is an important part of the climate equation. And while a focus on sustainability may seem like a relatively new phenomenon to many, it’s something livestock farmers have focused on for centuries. They are committed to continuous innovation and taking excellent care of their animals to provide nutritious meat, milk and eggs while protecting our planet.