BIODIVERSITY AND MEAT CONSUMPTION

Impacts of meat consumption on biodiversity

Carolyn Imede OpioFood and Agriculture Organization - FAO

Outline

1. Global livestock sector trends 2. Key features important for

biodiversity3. Implications of meat production and

consumption on biodiversity4. Policy implications and conclusions

Changing dietary patterns Per capita consumption of major food items:

developing countries

Global Per Capita Meat Consumption

Regional Per Capita Meat Consumption

Annual Growth in Global Meat Production (1987-2007)

Drivers of the livestock sector• Demand Drivers

– Population growth: doubled, 9 billion by 2050 – Urbanization: 50% urban; 70% by 2050 – Income growth: 4% p.a. (developing); 0.5% p.a.

(developed)• Supply Drivers

– Price determinants: long term declining prices for grain, energy, etc.– raising over the past years

– Developments in transportation: cold chain, larger and faster shipments facilitating trade in livestock products, feed products

– Rapid technological change across food chain: breeding technologies (AI), feeding technologies and animal health; crop productivity, processing, distribution and marketing technologies

– Policy environment – subsidies and tax exemptions, failure to internalize externalities reducing costs

Key features important for biodiversity

Area expansion at expense of natural habitats • Livestock sector largest user of land

– 80% of all agricultural land– 1/3 of arable land for feed production

• arable land expansion: 36% total increase (1961- 2003),

• mostly at the expense of forests• but also high potential pastures• slowed down to 0.1 % p.a.

• expansion of pastures: 45% total increase (1961- 2003)

• still ongoing in Latin America• Currently slowing and reversing elsewhere

Estimated distribution of livestock production systems

Where is production taking place?

Global Trends in land use area for livestock production and total meat and

milk production

Trends in land use area for livestock production and total meat and milk

productionSouth America EU-15

- improved feed efficiency

- increased reliance on feed Imports

Key features important for biodiversity

-2.0

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

14.0

16.0

Cereals Soybean meal

Ann

ual g

row

th ra

tes

%

World Developing Developed Europe

Cereal and soybean meal utilization for feed (1990-2005)

Implications for biodiversity

Livestock’s role in biodiversity loss• Demand, corresponding increases in production and

structural change has implications for biodiversity• Trends in the livestock sector have contributed to

biodiversity loss through:– Habitat change – Climate change – Introduction of alien species – Overexploitation and competition – Pollution and contamination of ecosystems– Impact on animal genetic resources

• WWF considers livestock as threat to 306 of the 825 terrestrial eco-regions

• IUCN identifies livestock as a major threat to 1699 endangered species (red list). Majority of the impacts are on terrestrial (1219) rather than on marine and freshwater ecosystems

Habitat change: Deforestation and forest fragmentation • Deforestation is a major driver of habitat change for

pasture and feed-crop production• Worldwide deforestation is a key threat to biodiversity• However, the link between livestock and

deforestation is strongest in Latin America– 4.4 million hectares converted to pasture (2000-2005)– 1994-2004 land dedicated to soybean area doubled

• Encroachment continues due to:– Increasing demand, – degradation of existing pastures, – increasing competition for land for biofuel

feedstock pushing producers further into forest

Habitat change: Deforestation and forest fragmentation

Deforestation in the Neotropics~2.4 million ha/yearForest Pasture

~0.5 million ha/yearForest Feed crops

~2.4 billion tons CO2

Habitat change: Intensification of agricultural land use

• Large-scale use of fertilizers and pesticides reduces the species diversity in ecosystems

• Intensive agriculture also limits biodiversity by favoring monoculture crop production diminishing diverse habitats

• In the drylands, intensification results in changes to land use e.g. fencing may lead to fragmentation reducing accessibility to key resources and migration routes for wildlife

• Introduction of exotic grass species for establishment of improved pastures

• Improved efficiency in production where fewer inputs are required may reduce pressure on natural habitats and other resources

Habitat change: desertification and land degradation

• Major problem in grazed landscapes: At least 20% of world’s grazing land show significant soil degradation

• Trampling, overgrazing and high stocking rates of pastures: leads to loss of top soil and organic matter, reduction in water infiltration, increased soil compaction, reduced fertility

• Increased soil erosion and land degradation negatively impact both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems

• Contribute to maintaining plant and animal species diversity in moderately grazed pastures

Climate change and biodiversity• Livestock contribute about 7.1 billion tonnes CO2

equivalent or 18% of total anthropogenic GHG emissions

• GHG emissions related to livestock have indirect but huge impacts on ecosystems and species through:– land use change for pasture and feed production– emissions from animal manure and feed production– emissions from livestock

• Global warming can result in changes in:– species distributions and population sizes; timing of

reproduction or migration events, and an increase in the frequency of pest and disease outbreaks

– Ecosystem functions and services: e.g. climate regulating functions, impacts on water cycle

Introduction of alien species• Invasion of native ecosystems by alien plant

and animal species – Intentional plant invasions to enhance animal

productivity through introduction of exotic pasture seeds e.g. introduction of African grasses in Latin America

• Habitat change and ecosystem degradation increases vulnerability to invasive species leading to invasion of native ecosystems by alien plant and animal species putting native species at risk

• Livestock and livestock products as vectors of invasive species – globalization and transport

Overexploitation and competition

1980Aquaculture

10%

Pigs36%

Poultry50%

Other4%

Aquaculture59%

Pigs31%

Poultry9%

Other1%

2008

Competition with wildlife• Disease spread between livestock to wildlife• Competition for access to resources: pastures, water,

etc.

Livestock’s role in over-fishing

86% 40%

Ecosystem pollution • Pollution main cause of biodiversity loss• Livestock production generates large quantities of waste and which often enter and pollute aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems that are important reservoirs of biodiversity

Pollution from livestock waste•Nutrients: N and P •Drug residues and hormones•Biological contamination

Pollution from feed production•Chemical fertilizer application•Pesticides•Erosion

Pollution from processing•Chemical use in tanneries, slaughterhouses

- Eutrophication- Acidification- Endocrine disruption

wildlife and aquatic species

- Soil contamination

Impact on animal genetic biodiversity• Rapid spread of intensive

livestock production utilizing narrow genetic base, few commercial breeds that are highly productive

• Livestock diversity erosion– 20% of 7,616 livestock

breeds are classified as at risk

– Holstein-Friesian cattle now in 128 countries

– large white pig in 117

• Drivers – Cross breeding - genetic

dilution/eradication through use of exotic germplasm

– changes in production systems - rapid spread of specialized industrial production

– changing consumer preferences threaten certain varieties and breeds e.g. leaner meat

– changes in producer preferences in response to socio-economic changes

– Policies that promote exotic breeds e.g. subsidized/free

Summary • Multiple ways in which livestock production

affects biodiversity – Includes both direct and indirect effects– Includes both on-site and off-site effects

• Impacts on biodiversity are caused by a combination of processes of environmental degradation– difficulty in isolating role of livestock

• Impacts can occur over different temporal and spatial scales and will vary across different production systems

• Impacts are largely negative although there are some positive impacts

Conclusions and policy implications • Consumption of livestock products is expected to

double by 2050, largely in developing world • BAU scenario: impacts on biodiversity and

environment will intensify• Technology options are generally available to mitigate

environmental impacts• Need to tackle underlying causes:

– neglect of externalities (both positive and negative)– correct pricing and internalization of environmental costs to correct

for inefficiencies in resource use • More scope in tackling impacts on biodiversity through

improvements in production • Intensification is key to reducing pressure on natural

habitats and improve resource use efficiency• Management of intensification needs to focus on

improving incentives for producers to maintain biodiversity through PES, subsidies, taxes, green labelling and certification of products

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