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&# 65279; The Environmental Concerns of the Livestock Industry The United States leads the way in a global trend toward increased meat consumption. The average American consumes almost twice his or her own body weight in meat every year. World meat production has surged nearly fivefold in the last fifty years, from 44 millions tons in 1950, to 211 million tons in 1997. This growing manufacturing of meat for food is creating new pressures on land and water resources, contributing to water pollution, and intensifying global warming (Worldwatch Institute). The media places emphasis on the environmental damage caused by oil spills, pollutants emitted from motor vehicles, ozone depletion, and acid rain. The environmental concerns associated with the manufacturing of nuclear power and paper products are widely-known.
Commonly overlooked are the hazardous effects of raising animals for food. The livestock industry has many negative effects on the environment, including pollution of the air, land, and water resources. The improvement of management practices in the livestock industry can lead to the reduction of harmful effects on the environment, and at the same time, increase profits. The Ruminant Livestock Efficiency Program and the Global Livestock Group are programs concerned with cleaning up the air.
The Environmental Quality Incentive Program targets the cleanup of livestock waste, and the reduction of meat consumption is a method of preserving land and water resources. The implementation of more efficient management strategies in livestock production can lead to maximized environmental and economic benefits. Methane Emissions According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the world s livestock herds account for approximately 25 percent of human-induced emissions of methane (CH 4), a colorless and odorless, but potent, greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change (Worldwatch Institute). Methane is one of the principal greenhouse gases, second only to carbon dioxide (CO 2), and with a global warming potential twenty-one times greater. Methane made an estimated contribution of 18 percent to the radiative forcing of the climate in 1990. A potential effect of climate change includes increased frequency of extreme weather events, such as floods, drought, and severe storms.
Changes in precipitation and temperature patterns could jeopardize current agricultural practices, and tropical diseases and pests could increase their range. In addition, raised sea levels could threaten vulnerable coastlines around the world (Environmental Protection Agency). Domesticated ruminant (cud-chewing) animals, with an ever-increasing population, constitute the largest source of anthropogenic methane emissions. Ruminants, such as cattle, sheep, and goats, have a unique, four- chambered stomach. In the large chamber of the stomach called the rumen, microbial fermentation in the animal s digestive system breaks down food into soluble products that the animal can utilize. Ruminant animals are unique because their special digestive system allows them to convert otherwise unusable plant materials into nutritious food and fiber.
However, this microbial fermentation process, referred to as enteric fermentation, produces methane gas as a by-product, which is exhaled by the animal (Center for International Earth Science Information Network). The production rate and amount of methane created is affected by factors such as quality and quantity of food, body weight, age, and exercise. Inefficient feed utilization leads to high exhaled methane emissions, and ruminants on low quality feeds produce more than 75 percent of the total livestock methane emissions. In many emerging market countries, animal diets consist mainly of low quality feed such as rice straw and sugarcane tops that lack the daily nutrients necessary for efficient digestion (Global Livestock Group). Of the annual global production of 400 to 600 million tons of methane, ruminant livestock produce about 80 millions tons, or 22 percent.
An adult cow may emit only eighty to 120 kilograms of methane, but with about 100 million cattle in the United States and twelve billion large ruminants worldwide, it is easy to see why ruminants are one of the largest methane sources (Environmental Protection Agency). Besides the methane production of the digestive process, the stagnant waste lagoons of factory-farm operations emit an additional 5 percent of human-induced methane (Worldwatch Institute). In addition to methane, animal agriculture also leads to the emission of other greenhouse gases into the air. The production of feed and heating of livestock housing uses fossil fuels which emit carbon dioxide, and the growing of livestock feed requires intense use of synthetic fertilizer, releasing nitrous oxide.
These gases, along with methane, have significant impact on the earth s atmosphere, and are major contributing factors to global warming (Vegan Outreach). Land Destruction The production of beef depends heavily on rangelands. These areas are too arid or too steeply sloped to be plowed, so meat production is the only option for generating food from these ecosystems. As overgrazing becomes the norm in much of the world, rangelands are being pushed to their limits and beyond. Improper grazing has caused extensive environmental damage and rangeland degradation. The fragile state of the world s rangelands is of serious concern because these lands are the source of almost one-quarter of the world s meat.
In addition, in some parts of the world, the escalating demands of the world s rangelands are threatening the livelihood of herder populations and cultures, which revolve around animal husbandry (Worldwatch Institute). Topsoil erosion is also a serious problem. Topsoil is lost at a rate of one inch every sixteen years and the meat industry is directly responsible for 85 percent of all soil erosion in the United States. This is because so much grain is needed to feed animals being raised for food. Growing feed for utilization by the livestock industry changes land use, therefore harming biological diversity through habitat loss and ecosystem damage (Vegan Outreach). Vast ecosystems have been altered in order to support livestock populations.
This includes forest destruction for ranching, suppression of native predators and competitors, and the introduction of invasive forage species. Of all agricultural land in the United States, 87 percent is used to raise animals for human consumption. About 260 million acres of forest in our country have been cleared to create cropland to support the livestock industry, and another acre of trees disappears every eight seconds (Tax Meat). In addition, the greatest loss of tropical rainforests in the world is to make space for cattle grazing.
Fifty-five square feet of rainforest may be wiped out to produce just one quarter-pound burger. The soil is virtually useless once the rainforests have been destroyed, and the land will sustain pasture for only four or five short years (country CONNECTIONS). Livestock herds do not only occupy the land and feed off it. They pollute it as well. Animal waste is spread upon the land, giving off ammonia, which is a major cause of acid rain. In addition, the waste is full of the heavy metals that are added to feed, which then accumulate in the soil in serious proportions and lead to water pollution (Animal Rights Resource Site).
Water Contamination The huge quantities of waste produced by livestock threaten the world s water resources. The meat industry is the single greatest polluter of our waters. Rivers and streams are carrying ever-larger volumes of nutrient pollution, the biggest single source of which is livestock waste. The waste enters fresh waters either directly or as runoff from the land and is very effective at depleting natural waters of their oxygen. It can also affect the microbial quality of fresh waters (Environment Agency). Livestock wastes are implicated in waterway pollution, toxic algal blooms, and massive fish kills.
In the United States, waste generated by livestock amounts to 130 times that produced by humans. Livestock farms are getting larger throughout the world, and one 50, 000 acre farm can produce more waste than the entire city of Los Angeles (Worldwatch Institute). Livestock waste is the biggest single cause of declining fish populations in 60, 000 miles of polluted waterways in the United States, and another 113, 000 miles of waterways are seriously affected. Pollution from factory farms harms more miles of U.
S. rivers than all other industry sources and municipal sewers combined (country CONNECTIONS). Polluted waters foster the growth of pathogenic microorganisms that can be fatal to fish and cause sickness in humans. Pfiesteria is a microscopic organism that kills fish and can cause lesions, memory loss, dizziness, fatigue, and asthmatic problems in humans. This organism is most at home and multiplies at a tremendous rate in polluted, over-enriched waters. Most of our nation s 127 estuaries show symptoms of nutrient overload.
This can also spawn algae blooms that strip the waters of oxygen as they decompose, proving fatal for many fish (Earth Save International). Other potential and actual pressures on the environment from the production of livestock arise from the use of fertilizers, veterinary medicines, and other chemicals. Any excessive use of nutrients and inexpert use of pesticides can place severe pressures on the quality of both surface and ground waters. Drinking water can become contaminated if these substances leach into underground water bodies, and pesticides that enter surface waters are toxic to fish and other aquatic life (Environment Agency). One of the principal ways of handling waste from factory farms is the use of lagoons. Waste is stored in these massage earthen pits until it decomposes.
Leakage from waste-disposal lagoons makes its way to waterways, killing huge numbers of fish, and contaminating drink water (Earth Save International). In addition to water contamination, meat production has a growing impact on nations facing water scarcity. Raising animals for food requires more than half the water used in the United States each year (Tax Meat). Ruminant Livestock Efficiency Program A fresh approach to the way the world thinks about food and farming is needed in order to control the long-term hazardous effects the livestock industry is having on the environment. Factory farming needs to become environmentally, economically, and socially responsible (Earth Save International). Improving livestock management practice is not only profitable, but can also decrease the threat of global climate change.
The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U. S.
Departments of Agriculture (USDA) have joined together to promote the important link between profitable livestock production and healthy environment. Through the Ruminant Livestock Efficiency Program (RLEP), the two groups encourage the adoption of voluntary practices that benefit both the producers and the environment (Environmental Protection Agency). The mission of RLEP is to help ruminant livestock producers voluntarily reduce emissions of methane and other greenhouse gases. These emissions can be cut through management strategies that improve production efficiency and result in lower emissions per unit of meat produced. Some of the most effective management strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions include improving grazing management, soil testing including the addition of proper amendments and fertilizers, supplementing cattle diets with needed nutrients, developing preventive herd health programs, providing appropriate water sources and protecting water quality, and improving genetics and reproductive efficiency. The particular practices utilized by a livestock producer depend on the individual circumstances of the operation, including the goals to be achieved and the natural, financial, and labor resources available.
The bottom line is that improved livestock management is good for both the environment and profits (Environmental Protection Agency). There are also additional benefits associated with using improved management practices. Efficiency improvements can reduce nitrous oxide emissions from livestock waste. Management strategies can also reduce atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide by storing carbon in the soil as organic matter. While more research is needed in both of these areas to identify specific practices for reducing atmospheric greenhouse gases, some benefits can currently be realized (Environmental Protection Agency). Global Livestock Group The Global Livestock Group (GLG) is an organization that is striving to maximize environmental and economic benefits of improved livestock efficiency.
The GLG is at the forefront in the design and implementation of ruminant livestock emission reduction projects. The GLG offers business advisory services designed to achieve widespread methane reduction. In the effort to promote clean air through economic growth, the GLG brings together crucial technological, business, financial, and marketing skills to form projects that help farmers access cost-effective and proven technologies to maximize gain and income from their animals and limited resources. The GLG uses comprehensive marketing and business growth strategies that are based in part on test market research, use of existing distribution and supply networks, and full financial risk analyses. The GLG also assists local partners with business management, financial training, and business plan development to help them successfully navigate their often challenging commercial environments (Global Livestock Group). The GLG also develops and implements technological innovations designed to reduce methane production.
An innovative feed supplement manufacturing process allows utilization of a wide assortment of local by-products for high-quality feed composition. Reliable, high-quality feeds improve digestive efficiency in ruminants and result in lower methane production. Techniques for the economical and rapid transition of local herds to improved quality stock give local livestock producers access to better quality animals at affordable prices (Global Livestock Group). The GLG s ruminant methane technologies provide host-country livestock producers with reliable access to affordable feed supplements and better quality animals, which has a positive impact by increasing household income. In addition, a healthy rural economy is promoted as GLG assists local entrepreneurs to implement business plans and marketing strategies for commercially viable feed supplement manufacturing and distributing companies, or breeding stock multiplication operations.
GLG also invigorates national economy as hundreds of thousands of consumers benefit from improvements in their own livestock industry, thus raising the value of that industry and the national economy (Global Livestock Group). The Global Livestock Group projects can bring about high volume reductions in methane emissions, and direct scientific measurement and verifications are used for all of the group s greenhouse gas reductions. Through collaborative research with the Ruminant Livestock Efficiency Program and Washington State University, the GLG established the first ruminant methane monitoring and verification labs in emerging market areas. Leadership in the development and continued refinement of computer modeling techniques has allowed GLG projects to generally exceed international standards for ruminant methane estimations (Global Livestock Group). Environmental Quality Incentive Program Livestock waste, particularly waste lagoons, is the source of serious environmental concerns. Congress recently adopted a bill in the 1996 Farm Act that addresses the livestock waste problem.
The bill, known as the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP), provides technical assistance with waste cleanup to livestock operators. This assistance includes incentive payments to keep farmers from spraying liquid waste from lagoons onto stream banks, and cost-share assistance for building livestock waste facilities. Farmers are eligible to receive as much as $ 10, 000 a year, with a cap of $ 50, 000 (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences). EQIP enjoys overwhelming support from the EPA, Congress, and several environmental groups.
The only controversy is over whether there should be a limit on the size of farms that are eligible to receive cost-share funds. Some livestock operations can have more than 100, 000 beef cattle, 10, 000 hogs, and 400, 000 chickens, and the question being asked is whether operations of this large size should be eligible for financial assistance to build animal waste management facilities. Some parties feel that EQIP is an environmental bill, not a structure bill, and that the numbers are irrelevant. Others support the idea that it is a structure issue, and that big factory farms should be able to call on investors to pay for waste management facilities (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences). Another question about EQIP is the fundamental issue of whether or not waste lagoons are safe for the environment. While some parties feel that waste lagoons are adequate when managed properly and not overfilled, others feel that the lagoons are not safe even when properly managed.
Some farmers are of the opinion that instead of helping with the construction of waste lagoons, the federal government should develop and encourage alternative methods of managing livestock waste. Existing alternative methods include dry bedding, which involves keeping the animals on straw and then composting the waste-laden straw (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences). Reducing Meat Consumption Reducing worldwide meat consumption, even slightly, offers solutions to a range of pressing global problems. If each American reduced his or her meat consumption by just 5 percent (the equivalent of eating one less meat dish per week), 7. 5 million tons of grain would be saved, which is enough to feed twenty-five million people, the approximate number that go hungry in the United States each day. Currently, 36 percent of the world s grain goes to feed livestock and poultry. Each kilo of meat produced for human consumption represents several kilos of grain that could be consumed directly by humans, going a long way to solve our hunger problem (Worldwatch Institute).
Decreasing meat consumption would not only free up massive quantities of grain, but also would reduce pressure on the land, allowing the agricultural resource base to rejuvenate. In addition, consuming less meat, and therefore using less land, could lead to the use of fewer pesticides and fertilizers, make more land available to wildlife, and would help reduce pollutants in our drinking waters (Animal Rights Resource Site). Consequences and Solutions The production of livestock is an essential enterprise, and the raising of livestock places stress on the environment in various ways. The livestock industry is damaging the world s atmosphere, land, and water resources. Meat consumption is increasing, and thus is the demand for livestock production. The process of manufacturing meat for human consumption leads to global warming, ecosystem destruction, and contaminated water resources.
Improved management strategies are essential in reducing environmental concerns. Programs such as the Ruminant Livestock Efficiency Program, Global Livestock Group projects, and the Environmental Quality Incentive Program are making significant advances in the area of livestock management practices. These projects can not only lessen hazardous effects on the environment, but also promote economic growth. In addition, the simply policy of decreasing meat consumption can aid in the rejuvenation of our natural resources. The issues associated with the production of meat are not widely known. A food source that is so commonly relied upon and taken for granted is doing serious damage to our environment, and many of us are not even aware of it.
People enjoy meat as a principal part of their diets, never stopping to consider the consequences of eating that tender Porterhouse steak or juicy char-broiled hamburger. Global warming, land destruction, and contaminated water are serious and scary issues, but it seems as though the simple reduction of meat consumption is a very unrealistic method of solving the environmental concerns. Improved management strategies at the production level will be key in the quest to protect our environment. The people of the world are not going to suddenly stop eating meat. So it is up to the livestock industry to take responsibility for the harm being caused, and take measures to ensure that our love for meat does not destroy our environment.
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