What's the environmental impact of intensive livestock farming?

Intensive livestock farming significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and water pollution.

Intensive livestock farming, also known as factory farming, is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, livestock farming is responsible for 14.5% of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. This is largely due to the methane produced by ruminant animals such as cows and sheep, which is 25 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Additionally, the energy-intensive processes of producing and transporting animal feed also contribute to these emissions.

Deforestation is another significant environmental impact of intensive livestock farming. Large areas of forest, particularly in the Amazon, are cleared to create pasture for cattle or to grow soy for animal feed. This not only releases large amounts of carbon stored in trees, but also leads to a loss of biodiversity as habitats are destroyed. Furthermore, the conversion of forest to pasture or cropland can disrupt local water cycles and increase the risk of soil erosion.

Water pollution is a further issue associated with intensive livestock farming. Large quantities of manure and urine produced by livestock can contaminate water sources if not properly managed. This can lead to eutrophication, where an excess of nutrients in water bodies causes algal blooms that deplete oxygen levels and harm aquatic life. Antibiotics and hormones used in livestock farming can also enter water systems and have harmful effects on both wildlife and human health.

In addition to these impacts, intensive livestock farming can contribute to air pollution, through the release of ammonia and other gases from manure, and to overuse of water resources, as it takes large amounts of water to grow feed crops and to provide for the animals' needs. It's also worth noting that these environmental impacts can have knock-on effects on human health and livelihoods, particularly in rural communities and in countries heavily dependent on agriculture.