Reported U.S. wild game consumption and greenhouse gas emissions savings

Abstract

ABSTRACT Meat production creates high greenhouse gas emissions while consumption of wild game meat presumably has lower greenhouse gas impacts. We estimated the amount of meat legally harvested in the United States for animals with state or federal harvest data and determined caloric value and the greenhouse gas impact (emissions savings) of these harvests. Hunting of reported game accounts for approximately 487 billion Kcal, about 3% of U.S. annual meat consumption, although the total is probably higher if non-reported (small game) are included. Wild game consumption may equal more than two billion kg of avoided CO2 emissions, equivalent to more than $120 million USD in annual carbon avoidance societal benefits. Our results suggest that wild game harvests contribute a relatively small, but not irrelevant, greenhouse gas savings. Wildlife conservation organizations could use the positive climate attributes of wild game harvesting as a public relations tool to encourage hunting and subsequent emissions reductions.