Presentation from the Informal Consultation on Livestock Issues between the FAO Animal Production and Health Division and interested Non-Governmental Organizations. 1–2 December 2009 Italy, Rome FAO Headquarters. [Originally posted on http://www.cop-ppld.net/cop_knowledge_base]

1. AGA’s Programme on
Livestock in Climate
Change
December 1st, 2009
Pierre Gerber
Livestock Policy Officer, AGAL

2. Outline
• Livestock’s Long Shadow
• why?
• main results
• aftermath
• Current programme of work on climate
• overview
• ongoing activities
• Conclusions

3. Livestock’s Long Shadow
• Land use
• Rangeland represents about 26% of emerged land
• Feed crops use about 33% of arable land
• Climate change
• 18% of GHG emissions related to livestock food chains
• C storage potential
• Water
• Livestock sector represents 8% of all entropic water use, 90% of which
for feed production
• Biodiversity
• IUCN identifies livestock as one of the threats to 1699 endangered
species (red list)
• Can also have positive effects on biodiversity conservation
Technical options for mitigation are largely available but conducive
policy frameworks and institutions are missing.

4. The aftermath of LLS
• Raised awareness
• academia, general public, policy debate
• over simplification and distortion/selection of messages
• focus on climate change
• basic results stood the test
• Many studies relying on food chain / live cycle approach:
available results and databases but fragmented
• Expectations to move on to an action plan

5. Aim of current activities on climate
change
• Provide specific policy and technology options to mitigate
Greenhouse Gas emissions of livestock production
 identify ”low hanging fruit”
• enteric methane
• manure management
• restoration of degraded pastures in the Neotropics
• Provide scientific underpinning to climate negotiations
• improve the quantification calculations
• quantify economic and trade implications associated with policy
recommendations
• identify technology packages adapted to farming systems and agro-
ecological zones

6. Overview of current activities
Programme on the
reduction of GHG
emissions from
animal food chains
Pilot project
Quantification Economic Policy
of emissions modeling analysis
LCA analysis
Technical recommendations Policy recommendations

7. Life cycle analysis – dairy product

8. Range of GHG for commodities
in OECD-countries
200
180
kg CO2 eq/kg animal protein
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Pig Poultry Beef Milk Eggs
Source: DeVries & DeBoer (2009)

9. Range of GHG emissions within
one production system: landless
pig production
40
kg CO2 eq/kg animal protein
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Standard Best Practice Worst practice Best
methodology technology
Source: Backus (2009)

10. Attributing emissions
Percentage of total GHG emissions
100
90 Meat
Manure
80
Traction
70 Savings
Insurance
60
50
40
Meat
30
20
10 Milk Milk
0
Sub Saharan Africa Netherlands

11. Overview of current activities
Programme on the
reduction of GHG
emissions from
animal food chains
Pilot project
Quantification Economic Policy
of emissions modeling analysis
LCA analysis
Technical recommendations Policy recommendations

12. Livestock sector purchases permits
from other sectors
Emissions permit revenue (mil. USD), 2013
Cap = 100% of 2008 emissions
500
0
World North Latin Europe Africa Asia and Oceania
America America Pacific
-500
Permit Sale (+), Purchases (-), million USD
-1,000
-1,500
-2,000
-2,500
-3,000
-3,500

13. “High-cap” for non-Annex 1 countries
Emissions permit revenue (mil. USD), 2013
Cap = Annex 1: 84.5% of 2013 emissions
Non-Annex 1: 100% 2013 emissions
1500
1000
Permit sales (+), purchases (-), million USD
500
0
World North Latin Europe Africa Asia and Oceania
America America Pacific
-500
-1000
-1500

14. Overview of current activities
Programme on the
reduction of GHG
emissions from
animal food chains
Pilot project
Quantification Economic Policy
of emissions modeling analysis
LCA analysis
Technical recommendations Policy recommendations

15. Overview of current activities
Programme on the
reduction of GHG
emissions from
animal food chains
Pilot project
Quantification Economic Policy
of emissions modeling analysis
LCA analysis
Technical recommendations Policy recommendations

16. Conclusions
• Livestock’s Long Shadow provided an overview of
livestock’s impact on major global environmental issues
• Since then the work of AGAL has mostly focused on climate
change
• Analytical work aimed at underpinning the selection of
technologies (AGAP) and policy options (AGAL)
• No strong collaboration with NGOs so far
Contact: pierre.gerber@fao.org