Our thanks to David N. Cassuto of Animal Blawg (“Transcending Speciesism Since October 2008”) for permission to republish this piece by Katie Hance on a new study by the Worldwatch Institute and its implications for the welfare of livestock animals.

In 2006, the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) reported that livestock accounted for 18% of greenhouse gases, making livestock emissions “one of the most significant contributors to today’s most serious environmental problems.” However recently, Worldwatch Institute, a Washington D.C. environmental think-tank, reported that livestock emissions actually account for 51% of greenhouse gases.

Worldwatch Institute found that the FAO underestimate and overlooked some direct and indirect livestock emissions including CO2 emissions from livestock respiration, methane emissions, and emissions from clearing land to graze livestock and grow feed. The report concluded by proposing that livestock products be replaced with soy-based and other alternative products. The listed benefits of doing so include slowing climate change, helping to ease the global food and water crises, improving health and nutrition, and creating additional and safer jobs (since jobs producing alternative products are more labor intensive but not as dangers as jobs in the livestock industry).

Beyond replacing livestock products with soy-based (or vegan) products, others have proposed reducing livestock emissions by: changing the cows’ diet—replacing corn with flaxseed that mimics the natural grasses cows have evolved to eat—to reduce methane emissions; and both regulating factory farms, [which] produce enormous amounts of waste and emissions, and supporting small family farms, which are more environmentally sustainable. All of these changes would reduce livestock emissions. Additionally, all of these changes would improve the welfare of livestock animals. As this blog [Animal Blawg] has previously discussed (see here and here), there is a strong link between the environment and animal welfare.

The United States government is concerned with greenhouse gas emissions and is trying to fulfill President Obama’s campaign promise to cut greenhouse gases 80% by 2050. In light of this report claiming that livestock emissions account for 51% of greenhouse gases, it is clear that the government needs to address farming in its efforts to reduce greenhouse emissions. Hopefully, the government will address this issue and in doing so make changes that both improve the environment and the welfare of livestock animals.