Henning Steinfeld, FAO
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LIVESTOCK AND
THE ENVIRONMENT
Drivers, Impacts, Responses
Livestock-based options for sustainable food and nutritional security,
economic well-being and healthy lives
ILRI@40 Conference
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 6–7 November 2014

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What are the GLOBAL DRIVERS influencing livestock production?

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RISING DEMAND FOR ANIMAL PRODUCTS

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2005 - 2050 :
+ 70%
DEMAND FOR ANIMAL PRODUCTS
Source: FAO 2012
RISING DEMAND FOR ANIMAL PRODUCTS

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2005 - 2050
DEMAND FOR MEAT : + 278%
Source: FAO 2012
RISING DEMAND FOR ANIMAL PRODUCTS

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Source: IPCC 2014
CLIMATE CHANGE
Projected Temperature Change
Difference from
1986-2005 mean (°C)
Lowest Temperature Projections Highest Temperature Projections
Higher temperatures, shifting rainfalls, variability
Smallholders and pastoralists to suffer most

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RESOURCE SCARCITY
Limited land for agricultural
expansion
1/3 of arable land for feed crops
Land degradation
Water scarcity
Energy
Nutrients

Second grade crops
unfit for human
consumption
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RESOURCE SCARCITY
6.4 billion tons DM of livestock feed
* Cassava, beans and soybeans
** Bran, oilseed meals, pulp, molasses and wet distiller grains
Source: FAO, GLEAM
Tree leaves
3%
Fresh grass
and hay
39%
Grass legumes
and sillages
3%
Swill
1%
Crop residues
26%
2%
Agricultural by-products**
8%
Grains
9%
Other edible*
9%

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What are the IMPACTS ?

DIFFERENT SYSTEMS AND DIFFERENT PURPOSES
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Growing constraints to access
grazing and water resources
High GHG emissions per unit
of protein produced…
…but many other products:
livestock as saving/insurance,
economic activity, social role
Cattle herd, Ferlo, Senegal

DIFFERENT SYSTEMS AND DIFFERENT PURPOSES
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Global chain, imported feed
Lower GHG emissions per unit
of protein produced…
… but other environmental impacts:
nutrient pollution, potential land
use change associated with
imported feed, impacts on biodiversity
Pig farm, Chonburi, Thailand

DIFFERENT SYSTEMS AND DIFFERENT PURPOSES
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Resources: ~ 50% of roughages,
20% of silage, 30% of concentrates
High productivity: 20% of the
global number of dairy cows,
73% of the global milk production
Main sources of emissions:
enteric fermentation, manure,
fossil energy use
Dairy production, OECD countries

DIFFERENT SYSTEMS AND DIFFERENT PURPOSES
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Grass-fed systems are dominant
6.7% of slaughtered animals were
fed in feedlots
Land use and land use change is
the main source of emissions,
with an impact on other environmental
criteria (biodiversity)
Beef production, Brazil

CONTRIBUTION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
AGRICULTURE: 20 to 30 % of anthropogenic climate gases;
MOST IMPORTANT
SOURCES:
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2/3 from livestock (7.1 GT CO2eq)
Overriding role of ruminants
• Enteric methane
• Feed production
• Animal waste
• Land use
Strong relationship between productivity and emission intensity

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GHG EMISSIONS MITIGATION POTENTIAL
Large variability of emission
Intensities within systems
and regions
30% mitigation potential
estimated through more
efficient practices
in resource use with existing
technologies
Source: Gerber et al. (2013)
Emission intensity by commodity

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GHG EMISSIONS
Emission intensities per kg of protein
Source: FAO, GLEAM

LAND-BASED LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION MOST EXPOSED TO CC
LIVESTOCK ARE NATURAL ADAPTERS
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IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE
• Lower rainfall and higher temperatures
• Changing disease patterns
• Variability
• Flexible resource users
• Buffers for enhanced resilience

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NUTRIENT USE EFFICIENCY
Nutrient flow (nitrogen) in the beef production process
(based on US and Netherlands national data)
Source: Leach et al. (2012)
But: important role in nutrient cycling

LIVESTOCK AND WATER
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RESOURCE SCARCITY
• Water use: 29% of total agr. water use
• Impact on vegetation and water cycles – higher run-offs
• Water pollution: local impacts in areas of high animal concentration

THREAT TO BIODIVERSITY IN 306 OF THE 825 ECOREGIONS
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LIVESTOCK AND BIODIVERSITY
EXTENT OF PASTURES: 26% OF ALL LAND – both positive and negative impacts
• Arable land use for feed and expansion
• Aquatic systems (nutrient loading)
• Positive roles

LAND SPARING
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LAND SHARING VS. LAND SPARING
INTENSIVE FARMING
High productivity
UNFARMED
High species
density
LAND SHARING
FARMED EXTENSIVELY
Moderate species density and
productivity in a larger area

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LAND SHARING VS. LAND SPARING
Agricultural intensity
Biodiversity
LAND SHARING IS BEST
LAND SPARING IS BEST

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What are the RESPONSE OPTIONS ?

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RESPONSES
• Efficiency of resource use –
land, water, nutrients
• Emission intensity – CO2 eq
per unit of product
• Sustainable intensification: feeds,
genetics, health
• Reduce waste through recycling and
recovering nutrients and energy
• Requires incentives, regulations and
continuous innovation
INCREASE EFFICIENCY

ENHANCE LIVELIHOODS AND HUMAN WELL-BEING
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RESPONSES
• protect assets, enhance multiple functions of livestock in smallholder
and pastoral systems
• Integrated landscape management
(optimize contributions rather than maximizing output)
for food, biodiversity, water, cultural values
• Address overconsumption – healthy diets
• Reduce food-feed competition

• Limit livestock’s expansion into valuable eco-systems
• Integrated land use management (in particular in fragile eco-systems)
• Protect water resources
• Requires incentives and regulations
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RESPONSES
PROTECT RESOURCES

• Of global commons (e.g. climate)
• Of local commons (e.g. communal grazing, water)
• Incentive schemes (payment for environmental services, carbon markets)
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RESPONSES
INCREASE RESILIENCE
• Livestock as a tool of adaptation
• improve coping capacity with shocks
IMPROVE GOVERNANCE

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SUMMARY
o Large environmental impact, negative and positive
o Context of growing demand, climate change and growing
scarcities
o Diversity of systems, issues and responses
o Large potential to respond; social and economic co-benefits
o Requires pro-active policies, incentives and innovation

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Thank you
henning.steinfeld@fao.org
www.livestockdialogue.org
Sustainable livestock. For people, for the planet