Impact of Animal Agriculture on Climate - What Must you know?

Animal agriculture is one of the most destructive industries on our planet; it is a leading source of greenhouse gas emissions and a major cause of deforestation to raise farm animals and grow feed crops. This problem is gradually being noticed hence increasing concern on changing diets which are sustainable.

What are the Impacts of Animal Agriculture on Climate? A current study on climate change and dietary preferences suggests that most of the consumers are open to adopting environmentally friendly meals. Among the respondents, 70% reported that they would consume less meat and 63% said that they would change from animal-based sources of protein to plant-based sources like beans, lentils or nuts. This feeling captures a general social trend toward healthier plant-based and earth-friendly food consumption.

Livestock farming contributes about 14.5 percent of total GHG emissions to the global atmosphere. Cows emit large quantities of methane, an especially potent greenhouse gas, and Animal agriculture deforestation caused by livestock farming and the production of feed contribute to the problem. Experts have suggested that one of the easiest ways to reduce our carbon footprint is to trim a quarter pound of beef from our weekly diets.

Reducing meat and dairy consumption and moving to more plant-based diets could go a long way to achieving cuts in emissions from agriculture. A shift to plant-based diets could reduce the land use of food by 76% and reduce global emissions by 6.6 billion metric tons annually if implemented at large scale. Some consumers are already willing to change their diets for some reason, and therefore educating more people on this matter can encourage them to make the right decisions for the Earth. On a large scale it is possible for a number of people to contribute a small part and this will automatically translate to a large change.