According to a report published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on 26th, the greenhouse gas emitted by animal husbandry accounts for 14.5% of the global total, and the methane emitted by animal husbandry is equivalent to1440,000 tons of oil every year, which is enough to supply the whole South America with electricity. Of the greenhouse gases emitted by animal husbandry, 45% are emitted in the process of producing feed and 39% are emitted by animals. FAO pointed out that the current emission reduction methods, such as improving the menu of livestock and choosing cattle with less stomach gas, can reduce emissions by 30%, and called on the industry to implement them immediately.
According to a recent study published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the greenhouse gas emission reduction in the livestock sector can be as high as 30% by more widely adopting the best existing norms and technologies.
The report entitled "Solving Climate Change through Animal Husbandry: Assessment of Global Emissions and Reduction Opportunities" is the most comprehensive assessment of the role of animal husbandry in global warming and the potential of this sector to help solve this problem.
Overall, the total greenhouse gas emissions related to the animal husbandry supply chain are 765,438+billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-eq) every year, accounting for 65,438+04.5% of the total human-induced greenhouse gas emissions.
The main emission sources are: feed production and processing (accounting for 45% of the total emission), greenhouse gases generated during the digestion of dairy cows (39%) and manure decomposition (10%). The rest comes from the processing and transportation of animal products.
In order to obtain these estimated data, FAO conducted a detailed analysis of greenhouse gas emissions at different stages of the livestock supply chain, including the production and transportation of animal feed, the energy use of farms, the emissions during animal digestion and manure decomposition, and the transportation, refrigeration and packaging of slaughtered animal products.
After in-depth exploration of emission sources and methods, the report shows that livestock producers are expected to achieve large-scale emission reduction.
By promoting the use of the existing best norms and technologies in feeding, sanitation, animal husbandry and manure management, as well as technologies that have not been fully utilized at present, such as biogas generators and energy-saving equipment, efficiency can be improved and energy waste can be reduced, and greenhouse gas emission reduction in the global animal husbandry field can be as high as 30%.
According to FAO report, all species, systems and regions can achieve significant emission reduction, and ruminant livestock systems with low productivity in South Asia, Latin America and Africa have the greatest emission reduction potential.
In developed countries, although the emission intensity is relatively low, the overall production scale leads to higher emissions. Even if the emission intensity is slightly reduced, it can also produce huge benefits. Examples include dairy industry in Europe and North America and pig industry in East Asia.
Cattle industry accounts for 65% of the total greenhouse gas emissions of animal husbandry, but it is also the industry with the greatest potential for emission reduction.
FAO cooperates with public and private sectors, production, scientific research and academic institutions, civil society, non-governmental organizations and intergovernmental organizations to formulate policies to support the sustainable development of animal husbandry.
At present, the agenda has identified three priority areas and achieved remarkable results by improving production methods: promoting more efficient practices, improving grassland management and improving manure management.
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