Red meat-an essential partner to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions

Abstract

Management of ruminant livestock for red meat consumption is a major human enterprise. Approximately 1.3 billion people depend partially, or entirely, on livestock for their livelihoods. Given population projections and rising living standards in developing nations, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO, 2017) projects that demand for red meat from ruminants will continue to increase at the rate of around 1.5% per year. However, at a time of concern about the negative impacts of global warming, this reliance on red meat and the associated methane emissions has caused considerable debate on its role for humanity (Bryngelsson et al., 2016).<br/>If increasing the supply of red meat is to be part of the solution for increasing food production for the growing population, solutions must be found to reduce methane emissions and produce less greenhouse gas (GHG). According to the FAO, ruminant supply chains produces 5.7 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalents per year, which represents 80% of all livestock emissions globally and 16% of total world emissions. Cattle make up 80% of ruminant emissions (Gerber et al., 2013). Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, which is 28 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in global warming potential (IPCC, 2014).<br/>This article uses Australian and international research to describe options to substantially mitigate methane emissions from ruminants and outlines ways for the Australian industry to become carbon neutral. Research in Australia over the last 15 yr has investigated the biology of enteric methane production and examined a range of potential methods for managing methane emissions. Lowering GHG emissions or sequestering carbon in grazing systems and feedlot enterprises have been separately explored with the aim of making the Australian red meat industry carbon neutral by 2030 (Mayberry et al., 2019). Although grazing production systems predominate in Australia, the research outlined in this paper indicates options for other red meat industries at a global scale.