Emissions from Animal Agriculture—16.5% Is the New Minimum Figure

Richard Twine

doi:10.3390/su13116276

Abstract

Knowledge production within the climate sciences is quickly taken up by multiple stakeholders, reproduced in scientific citation and the broader culture, even when it is no longer accurate. This article accomplishes two goals: firstly, it contributes to the clarification of the quantification of emissions from animal agriculture, and secondly, it considers why the dominant framing of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) on this subject focuses on maximizing production efficiency. Specifically, analysing the FAO’s own work on this topic shows that the often-used FAO estimate that emissions from animal agriculture amount to 14.5% of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is now out of date. In returning to the FAO’s own explanation of its data sources and its more recent analysis of emissions from animal agriculture, this article finds that the figure of minimum estimate should be updated to 16.5%. The tendency of the FAO to prioritize a technological approach focused on making animal production more “eco-efficient” is critically examined in light of many other evidence-based calls for reductions in animal consumption. An explanation for this FAO approach is offered in terms of a type of epistemological bias.

Highlights

Two Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) reports, Livestock’s Long Shadow (2006) [1] and Tackling Climate ChangeThrough Livestock (2013) [2] have played a key role in the debate on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from animal agriculture
Even small upward revisions in the percentage figure can be important for how the issue of emissions from animal agriculture comes to be socially and politically constructed
Both reports agreed that the Animal Agriculture–Greenhouse Gases (AA–GHGs) link is constituted by the following main emissions sources: land use changes for feed production and grazing, methane emissions mostly associated with the enteric fermentation of ruminant farmed animals, nitrous oxide emissions mostly associated with farmed animal manure, fossil fuel use during feed and farmed animal production, and fossil fuel use in the production and transport of processed and refrigerated animal products

Summary

Introduction

Two FAO reports, Livestock’s Long Shadow (2006) [1] and Tackling Climate ChangeThrough Livestock (2013) [2] have played a key role in the debate on GHG emissions from animal agriculture. A secondary aim is to critically reflect on the FAO reluctance to call for a downsizing of the animal production sector This is an important issue for the aforementioned stakeholders because downsizing could have a more successful emissions reduction effect than the framing of trying to make animal production more efficient. Subsequent work such as the EAT-Lancet commission [7] calls for substantial reductions in meat consumption within a co-benefit framing of improving human health and achieving emissions reductions (as well as other concerns including biodiversity and water conservation).

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion