Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry

Advanced Education Program

ANIMAL AGRICULTURE: IS IT A GOOD SOURCE OF LIVELIHOOD OR

A PRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE?
Based on the Documentary film entitle Cowspiracy: the Sustainability Secret (2014)

Position Paper by

GERALD GUMERA AGUILAR

Graduate Student
Sustainable Environmental Management and Development
Master of Environmental Science

INTRODUCTION

The vast majority of climate scientists concur that global warming is occurring and that
people are mostly to blame (Perma, 2019a). In the last 100 years, the average
temperature of the Earth has risen by 0.4 to 0.8 degrees Celsius (Perma, 2019b). The
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an organization of worldwide
scientists that evaluates climate change research and provides policymakers with
advice (IPPC, 2022), "recently forecast that the average global temperature might
increase by 1.4 to 5.8 degrees Celsius by the year 2100". The burning of fossil fuels,
clearing of land, and farming practices are only a few examples of anthropogenic
activities that are substantially to blame for the temperature increase during the past fifty
years (Pappas, 2022.) However, despite the world community's efforts to halt global
warming, animal agriculture remains the main source of greenhouse gas emissions.
The focus has largely been on lowering carbon emissions from the energy and
transportation sectors, "neglecting livestock production in particular" and agriculture in
general (Donahue, 2015).

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) undertook a thorough
study of the scope of greenhouse gas emissions attributable to livestock production in
its key 2006 report, Livestock's Long Shadow (FAO, 2006). It has been known for a
while that livestock has a greater negative impact on the environment than
transportation (JournalNOw, n.d). Numerous environmental issues are mostly a result of
rising global livestock production (Smil, 2002). This is because the supply chain for
livestock necessitates substantial inputs of feed, energy, and water, produces emissions
of CH4, NH3, and other gases into the air, and poses pollution issues due to ineffective
waste management techniques (Seitzinger et al, 2005). Expanding the livestock
industry can result in increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the usage of more
agricultural land, and consequent deforestation (Steinfeld et al, 2006), surface water
eutrophication (Foley et al, 2011), decrease in terrestrial biodiversity (Smaling et al,
2008), and nutrient imbalances (Vera and Muñoz, 2017).
Despite this pressing environmental issue, livestock play a significant role in agriculture.
It is not only for gathering food, but also for the production of feed, fertilizer, and by-
products. It is used as a source of food, a component of production, a source of
enzymes, and a source of manure. It helps maintain the natural balance of the
environment (Agrilinks, 2019). Thus, this sector of agriculture must be supported.
Livestock is important to achieving the SDGs. Sustainable development is only possible
in a world without hunger and poverty. Agriculture and livestock are important to feed
the world. Millions of poor people depend on livestock for their livelihood. These
livelihoods need to be secured with sustainable livestock systems (Schneider, 2017).
However, sustainable livestock production must be practiced.

SUSTAINABLE LIVESTOCK FARMING PRACTICES

Over the past 20 years, intensive livestock farming has brought up concerns about its
effects on the environment and food security. As a result, sustainable livestock systems
are highly desired by society (Lebacq et al. 2013). The development of sustainable
livestock utilizing a systems approach development emphasizes the necessity for a
diverse livestock sector since changes to one function have an impact on other
functions (Kaasschieter et al, 1992). Indeed, environmentally friendly livestock systems
should also be economically viable for farmers and socially acceptable, especially in
terms of animal welfare (Lebacq et al, 2013). Thus, the following are four examples of
practices and technologies that must be implemented in livestock production for
sustainability.

Multi-species livestock production

A significant method for addressing the numerous sustainability challenges
associated with contemporary industrial agriculture has been suggested:
diversification of farming systems. Keeping two or more animal breeds or
species (such as dairy and beef cattle) together on the same farm is a
diversification strategy that hasn't gotten much attention up to this point. In
addition, the majority of studies on multi-species livestock farming are
fragmentary, concentrate on particular aspects of farm sustainability, and deal
with lower organizational levels (i.e. within the farm) (Martin et al, 2020). A
practical strategy for increasing the biological and financial effectiveness of
rangelands use is multi-species grazing (Glimp, 1988).

Installation of Biogas Plants

Methane emissions and water/air (odor) pollution are both caused by the
livestock industry. Because of its advantages of energy savings, decreased
digestate yield, and electricity (biogas to power) generation, anaerobic digestion
(AD) procedures for treating animal manure offer a cost-effective valorization
solution in this regard. Thus, the production of biogas and digestate from the
AD process is a win-win option for livestock farms to gain environmental,
energy, and economic benefits (Tsai, 2018).
 Livestock Precision Agriculture
The productivity and effectiveness of grazing systems may enhance with the
use of precision agricultural techniques. Electromagnetic induction and gamma
ray spectrometry are two soil sensors that were initially used in the cropping
sector to monitor soil variability in pastures. Although proximal active optical
sensors for pastures have recently been used, remote sensing tools for
assessing pasture (quantity and quality) have been available for many years.
These sensors have the potential to be more useful both as standalone sensors
and for calibrating other remote sensing tools. Recent advances in spatial
monitoring technologies for livestock offer new opportunities to quantify the
spatial heterogeneity in pasture utilization by animals. The integration of these
technologies has enormous promise for enhancing livestock production and
welfare as well as resource management techniques like variable rate fertilizer
management (Trotter,2010).

Organic Livestock farming

Organic standards aim at good livestock health and welfare.On varied, well-
integrated farms that largely already adhere to the fundamentals of organic
farming, it has a particular outlook on animal health and welfare that is possible
to uphold.The greater potential for animals to live more naturally and to rely on
adequate human care are key components of this unique perspective of animal
health and welfare.The four guiding principles for organic production—ecology,
care, health, and fairness—can be used as a framework to understand the
organic notions of animal health and welfare very clearly.Different types of
challenges exist in different organic livestock systems, e.g., for industrialized
versus tropical smallholder production systems.The challenges for a well-
balanced organic livestock food system are very complex (Vaarst & Alrøe,
2012).

CONCLUSION

Sustainable development can only be achieved in a world without hunger and poverty.
The global food supply depends on agriculture and livestock. Livestock is a source of
income for millions of low-income individuals. Sustainability in livestock systems is
necessary to protect these livelihoods. Alongside, animal welfare should be at the
forefront of the discussion on the future of livestock farming. In fact, attention to animal
welfare contributes to the achievement of advantages for the economic, environmental,
and social pillars of sustainability. In addition, there is a call for increased livestock
utilization and productivity, particularly through intensification, which must be taken into
account in the bigger picture, which includes food security, poverty alleviation,
environmental protection, healthy consumption patterns, and the health and welfare of
the animals. All of these factors are undermined by factory animal farming. To be truly
sustainable, the full societal implications of factory farming practices must be addressed.
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