Small cuts to beef production in wealthier nations could remove years of carbon emissions, study shows

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Dive Brief:

• As scientists and environmental activists call for drastic reductions in meat production to combat climate change, a new analysis suggests a smaller reduction borne by wealthier nations could yield highly effective results. 
• Small cutbacks in higher-income countries — about 13% of total production — could remove up to 125 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, according to an article published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, effectively reversing the amount of greenhouse gasses emitted over the past three years.
• Researchers found that removing livestock from pasturelands not only reduces methane emissions but also allows forests and vegetation to regrow, which contributes further to decreases in fossil fuel emissions. They also identified methods that lower-income regions can use to improve cattle feeding and management practices, which could help mitigate minor production losses.

Dive Insight:

An analysis published Monday found that pasturelands, especially in areas that were once forests, have immense promise for mitigating climate change. When livestock are removed from these “potential native forest” areas, ecosystems can revert to their natural forested state, capturing carbon in trees and soil.

The paper’s authors identified “high- and upper-middle-income countries” as key candidates for removing beef production, and recommended improving cattle management in other lush regions like sub-Saharan Africa and Brazil to offset losses from the removals.

There is even more potential for climate mitigation if the scope of removal expanded to include sheep and other grazing livestock around the world. According to the article, this type of restoration could sequester about 445 billion tons of carbon dioxide by the end of the century.

“We can achieve enormous climate benefits with modest changes,” Matthew Hayek, an assistant professor at New York University’s Department of Environmental Studies and lead author of the peer-reviewed scientific article, said in a statement. “By focusing on regions with potentially high carbon sequestration in forests, some restoration strategies could maximize climate benefits while minimizing changes to food supplies.”

Experts have pointed to shrinking the carbon footprint of livestock, which accounts for about 14.5% of global greenhouse gasses, as a potential solution to combat climate change. However, addressing the issue is not that straightforward.

India, for example, has the largest cattle population in the world, but one of the lowest beef consumption rates of any country due to cultural and religious reasons, according to a report from the University of California, Davis. As a result, cows live longer and emit more methane over their lifetime.

Some researchers are looking to solve the issue with feed supplements that reduce methane emitted by cows. Farmers and ranchers are also doing what they can to help, including better management of stored manure and cattle feed. Stakeholders over the long-term are even breeding cattle for traits that yield lower enteric emissions.

“This isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution,” Hayek said. “Our findings show that strategic improvements in the efficiency of cattle herds in some areas, coupled with decreased production in others, could lead to a win-win scenario for climate and food production.”

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