A recent FAO study (details here) found that livestock production is one of the major causes the world's most pressing environmental problems, including global warming, land degradation, air and water pollution, and loss of biodiversity.
"The future of the livestock-environment interface," the study said, "will be shaped by how we resolve the balance of two competing demands: for animal food products on the one side and for environmental services on the other." In a report to the Committee on Agriculture (COAG), FAO outlines the major corrective measures urgently needed to address livestock's environmental impact which, it warns, "will otherwise worsen dramatically".
Current prices of land and water and of feed used for livestock production do not reflect true scarcities, leading to overuse of resources and to major inefficiencies. Policies to protect the environment must, therefore, introduce adequate market pricing for the main inputs - for example, through grazing fees and full-cost pricing of water. While a host of successful technical options are available to mitigate environmental impacts, their wide adoption and application will require price signals that more closely reflect the true scarcities of production factors, and
Removing price distortions will greatly enhance the technical efficiency of natural resource use, but may often not be enough. Environmental externalities, both negative and positive, need to be explicitly factored into policies through the application of the "provider gets, polluter pays" principle. Livestock holders who generate positive externalities need to be compensated, either by the immediate beneficiary (such as downstream water users) or by the general public (e.g. for carbon sequestration from reversing pasture degradation). Taxation of environmental damage and incentives for environmental benefits may gain momentum in future, tackling first local externalities but increasingly also transboundary impacts.
A number of technical options could mitigate livestock's environmental impacts. For example, in intensive systems, good agricultural practices can reduce pesticide use and fertilizer losses in feed cropping and intensive pasture management, and extensive livestock production systems could make a contribution to biodiversity conservation by adopting silvopastoral approaches. Technological improvements need to focus on optimizing efficiencies in feeding, breeding and animal health. Research and management of feed crop production needs to aim at higher yields in more locally adapted eco-friendly production systems.
The environmental problems created by industrial systems - which account for 80 percent of total livestock sector growth - derive mostly from their concentration in areas favoured
The opportunity cost of extensive livestock production is changing, as competition increases for other uses of grazing land, such as water-related services, biodiversity conservation and bio-fuels. Given the potential of the world's vast grazing lands to sequester large amounts of carbon,
Challenges ahead. The environmental impacts of the livestock sector are not being adequately addressed, the FAO report says: "The problem lies mainly with institutional and political obstacles and the lack of mechanisms to provide environmental feedback, ensure that externalities are accounted for and embed the stewardship of common property resources into the sector."
The first challenge is to raise awareness among stakeholders of the scale of the environmental problem, and of how corrective action must extend beyond protection of specific ecosystems. "The mobility of the livestock industry allows its relocation without major problems becoming apparent," FAO says. "For example, intensification may reduce pressure on grazing lands but increase pressure on waterways."
Four lines of action. Given the planet's finite natural resources, and the additional demands being placed on the environment by a growing and wealthier world population, it is imperative that the livestock sector make far-reaching changes. FAO suggests four lines of action:
First, strive for further efficiency gains in resource use for livestock production through price corrections for inputs and the replacement of current suboptimal production with advanced production methods. Second, accept that the intensification of livestock production is inevitable, but make this process environmentally sustainable through, e.g. waste recycling on cropland and application of appropriate technology, especially in feeding and waste management. Third, adjust grassland-based production to include the provision of environmental services as a major purpose, and probably as the most important one in vulnerable areas. Fourth, go beyond existing policy frameworks at the local, national and international level - strong political will is required to initiate action and investment in creative ways to avert the environmental risks of continuing "business as usual."
First, strive for further efficiency gains in resource use for livestock production through price corrections for inputs and the replacement of current suboptimal production with advanced production methods.
Second, accept that the intensification of livestock production is inevitable, but make this process environmentally sustainable through, e.g. waste recycling on cropland and application of appropriate technology, especially in feeding and waste management.
Third, adjust grassland-based production to include the provision of environmental services as a major purpose, and probably as the most important one in vulnerable areas.
Fourth, go beyond existing policy frameworks at the local, national and international level - strong political will is required to initiate action and investment in creative ways to avert the environmental risks of continuing "business as usual."
The report proposes that FAO create a specific programme to address livestock-environment interactions through high level consultations, assistance to countries in designing and implementing policy frameworks to address cross-boundary environmental issues, and preparation of guidelines, policy papers and decision support tools.
Read the full FAO report to COAG on Managing livestock-environment interactions (PDF, 115K) See also in Spotlight: Environment and agriculture, Agribusiness boom, and Coping with water scarcity Get the full list of COAG documents Published April 2007