12 Ways Livestock Production Has Become More Sustainable
Throughout this Sustainability Series, I’ve explained the reasons that claims from anti-animal-agriculture activists concerning livestock’s environmental impacts are inaccurate. Many of these claims come from the documentary, Cowspiracy, and none of them are backed by science or agricultural knowledge.
However, although the figures are not near what vegans claim, agriculturalists still consider any environmental damage they cause a severe problem. Many consumers believe that farmers skip out on sustainable methods because they cost more money or cut into profits, but the truth is that many sustainable methods actually save producers money, and many can actually be an alternative source of income! Farmers and agronomists (agricultural scientists) have taken many steps to alleviate these impacts, and have even developed many methods that benefit the environment, either through preserving wildlife ecosystems, maintaining clean water supplies, reversing greenhouse gas emissions, or growing natural vegetation. Here are 12 ways the livestock industry is decreasing its environmental harm: |
1. Improving Genetics
Through selective breeding, livestock producers can make animals naturally grow faster even while using fewer inputs including feed and water. In the case of ruminants, decreasing the animal’s lifespan (because they reach desired slaughter weight at a younger age) reduces the amount of time they’re emitting methane into the atmosphere.
2. Developing New Breeds
Often times, genetics are fine tuned to such a point that a completely new category of a species is developed. Most breeds of livestock we see today started with one or a small group of producers breeding animals over many, many years to fill a specific niche or allow the animals to endure certain conditions. For example, breeds can be designed to produce leaner meat, finer wool, to survive harsh temperatures, or to still be productive on rugged terrain.
3. Improving Livestock Nutrition
Just like improving genetics, agronomists are designing feeds that give the animals more energy to help them grow faster so that less food has to be given and the animals reach desired slaughter weight at a younger age, reducing the total amount of inputs.
4. Livestock Methane Generator
I discussed this technology previously in my article about water consumption and waste from the livestock sector. Basically, it releases the methane from cattle manure and transforms it into electricity that can power the farm. Many varieties of the machine also produce a liquid fertilizer and/or a sand-type solid that can be used for bedding.
5. Artificial Insemination
Artificial insemination, also referred to as AI, reduces the number of male animals that need to be kept by ranchers. Because bulls/boars/rams/stallions eat and drink a great deal more than female or castrated male livestock do, this drastically reduces inputs.
6. Naturally Fighting Weeds
One environmental hazard of grazing livestock is that they eat invasive plant species then spread them through other areas via their manure. Managing these weeds can be costly and often involves toxic chemicals. To combat this, livestock raisers have discovered advantageous mowing patterns, rotated the herds between pastures to prevent overgrazing, reseeded native forages, and thread, till, or aerate the ground to increase seedling vigor.
Through selective breeding, livestock producers can make animals naturally grow faster even while using fewer inputs including feed and water. In the case of ruminants, decreasing the animal’s lifespan (because they reach desired slaughter weight at a younger age) reduces the amount of time they’re emitting methane into the atmosphere.
2. Developing New Breeds
Often times, genetics are fine tuned to such a point that a completely new category of a species is developed. Most breeds of livestock we see today started with one or a small group of producers breeding animals over many, many years to fill a specific niche or allow the animals to endure certain conditions. For example, breeds can be designed to produce leaner meat, finer wool, to survive harsh temperatures, or to still be productive on rugged terrain.
3. Improving Livestock Nutrition
Just like improving genetics, agronomists are designing feeds that give the animals more energy to help them grow faster so that less food has to be given and the animals reach desired slaughter weight at a younger age, reducing the total amount of inputs.
4. Livestock Methane Generator
I discussed this technology previously in my article about water consumption and waste from the livestock sector. Basically, it releases the methane from cattle manure and transforms it into electricity that can power the farm. Many varieties of the machine also produce a liquid fertilizer and/or a sand-type solid that can be used for bedding.
5. Artificial Insemination
Artificial insemination, also referred to as AI, reduces the number of male animals that need to be kept by ranchers. Because bulls/boars/rams/stallions eat and drink a great deal more than female or castrated male livestock do, this drastically reduces inputs.
6. Naturally Fighting Weeds
One environmental hazard of grazing livestock is that they eat invasive plant species then spread them through other areas via their manure. Managing these weeds can be costly and often involves toxic chemicals. To combat this, livestock raisers have discovered advantageous mowing patterns, rotated the herds between pastures to prevent overgrazing, reseeded native forages, and thread, till, or aerate the ground to increase seedling vigor.
7. Managing Pasture Soils
On the same note as number six, maintaining pasturelands and rotating animals between pastures has many benefits for the ground. Allowing animals to graze the vegetation improves soil structure, improves water quality, reduces runoff, decreases phosphorus pollution, and decreases erosion. 8. Creating Transgenic Animals Although no food animals have currently been produced using genetic engineering (yes, just like with GM Crops), the technology is being developed and is believed to become a reality in the coming years. When it does, we will see the same environmental benefits of selective breeding (which is actually a form of biotechnology): using less feed, water, and energy to achieve the same desired slaughter weight in a shorter amount of time, but on a much more rapid and extreme scale. There are certainly many concerns about this, and a great deal of research will need to be conducted before transgenic food animals are considered safe for human consumption. |
9. Providing Proper Bedding
Animals can be kept healthier (allowing maximum productivity on the same amount of inputs) when they are given clean, dry materials to bed down on. This also prevents diseases, which can waste feed and water inputs and contribute to antibiotic resistance. Adequate bedding is especially important for sheep being used in wool production.
10. Increasing Natural Water Reservoirs
Livestock raisers typically prefer natural ponds or lakes to be the water source for their animals, but, with drought conditions, these bodies often dry up. For this reason, many farmers will dig deeper ponds or alter the creeks that feed those reservoirs to allow them to catch and hold more water, decreasing the amount of well or transported water they need to use.
11. Integrating Crop and Livestock Systems
Many farmers grow both livestock and crops, and this offers many sustainability benefits. Livestock can graze on the cover crops during the off season and their manure fertilizes the soil for the upcoming harvest. This also decreases the transportation inputs for both fertilizer and feed.
12. Carcass Ultrasound
Ultrasound equipment allows farmers to predict carcass traits on animals that are still alive. This allows farmers to make sure that the animal will be in prime condition before it is slaughtered, which avoids spending inputs on animals that won’t result in maximum harvests.
Animals can be kept healthier (allowing maximum productivity on the same amount of inputs) when they are given clean, dry materials to bed down on. This also prevents diseases, which can waste feed and water inputs and contribute to antibiotic resistance. Adequate bedding is especially important for sheep being used in wool production.
10. Increasing Natural Water Reservoirs
Livestock raisers typically prefer natural ponds or lakes to be the water source for their animals, but, with drought conditions, these bodies often dry up. For this reason, many farmers will dig deeper ponds or alter the creeks that feed those reservoirs to allow them to catch and hold more water, decreasing the amount of well or transported water they need to use.
11. Integrating Crop and Livestock Systems
Many farmers grow both livestock and crops, and this offers many sustainability benefits. Livestock can graze on the cover crops during the off season and their manure fertilizes the soil for the upcoming harvest. This also decreases the transportation inputs for both fertilizer and feed.
12. Carcass Ultrasound
Ultrasound equipment allows farmers to predict carcass traits on animals that are still alive. This allows farmers to make sure that the animal will be in prime condition before it is slaughtered, which avoids spending inputs on animals that won’t result in maximum harvests.