Facts & Fiction - Debunking Myths about the Environmental Impact of Livestock Production - Dr. Frank Mitloehner, University of California, Davis, from the 2019 Iowa Pork Congress, January 23 - 24, 2019, Des Moines, IA, USA. More presentations at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEFNbfee_Rq3AfAFTRpuCrQ

1. Facts and Fiction:
Debunking Myths about the
Environmental Impact of
Livestock
Frank Mitloehner, PhD
Professor & Air Quality Specialist
Dept Animal Science
University of California, Davis

2. Follow me on Twitter
#GHGGuru

3. Facts or Fiction on Livestock
and Climate Change?
• Livestock produces 18% of all
anthropogenic GHG globally
• Livestock produces more GHG than
transportation
• 70% of all agricultural land is used
for livestock

4. “Livestock’s Long Shadow”
(FAO, 2006)
• “The Livestock sector is a major player,
responsible for 18% of GHG emissions
measured in CO2e. This is a higher share
than transport”

6. By Henning Steinfeld & Anne Mottet, FAO

11. GHG & GWP
Global Warming Potential (GWP) of
Main GHG
 Carbon Dioxide, CO2 1
 Methane, CH4 28
 Nitrous Oxide, N2O 298
CO2 – Carbon Dioxide CH4 – Methane N2O – Nitrous Oxide

14. WATCH THIS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=BOJdz_LgDBE

15. Carbon Dioxide and Carbon Flux

16. Source: EPA (2016)
National-Level U.S. GHG Inventory

19. 4.5 Billion + population of USA in 10
years

20. Today and Tomorrow’s Markets

21. 21
100200300400500
Indexnumber:1961=100
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Roots and tubers Cereals
Meat Milk
Eggs
Per caput consumption of major food items in developing countries – kg per caput per year (index numbers 1961=100)
Consumption is growing rapidly in
developing countries
Eggs
Meat
Milk

22. 22
Per capita GDP and meat consumption by country, 2005.
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000
Per capita GDP (US$ PPP)
Percapitameatconsumpion(kg/year)
USA
Japan
China
Brazil
Malaysia
Germany
Ghana
NorwayLithuania
... driven by incomes ...

23. Global livestock distribution
FAO (2006)

24. Distribution of cropland
FAO (2006)

25. Relationship between total
greenhouse gas emissions and milk
output per cow
0.00
2.00
4.00
6.00
8.00
10.00
12.00
0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 9,000
Output per cow, kg FPCM per year
kgCO2-eq.perkgFPCM

26. FAO (2010)

27. Emission Intensities
(direct emissions from livestock)
GTAP 2001 data base

28. Mitigation: interventions to improve
productivity
Gill et al. (2010)

29. US Dairy trends
• In 1950, there were 24 million dairy
cows in the US, today there are 9
million.
• Even though cow numbers have
decreased dramatically (1950 versus
2013), milk production nationally has
increased 60 percent.
• The carbon footprint of a glass of milk is
2/3 smaller today than it was 70 years
ago.

30. US Beef trends
• In 1970, the US had 140 Million
head of beef
• By comparison, today there are 90
Million head
• In both 1970 and 2010, 24 Million
tons of beef were produced

31. US Pork Trends

32. US Pork Trends

33. China Swine Example
• China’s five year plan focuses on making
farms larger and more efficient
• Half of the world’s pigs live in China
• 50 million sows w/ 20 piglets born alive
• Equals annual production of 1 Billion pigs
• Pre-weaning mortality causes 400 Million
pigs to never make it to the market
• One more pig per sow would mean
1 Million tons of feed saved

34. Sustainable Intensification
is key
• Production intensity and
emission intensity are inversely
related

35. Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2017Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2017
(Total Emissions were 49 Gt of CO(Total Emissions were 49 Gt of CO2 Equivalents)Equivalents)
88%
11%
Source: US EPA Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory

36. Presentation to National Academies IOM , Washington DC, July 17, 2013