Cows are Innocent – Paganini non Ripete 287
Livestock farming is often accused of being one of the main contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, even more polluting than transportation. But this narrative is misleading and distracts from the real climate priorities. It’s time to set the record straight.
Cows are Innocent
At COP29 and the G20, I discussed the role of livestock in greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are not the same thing.
A MISLEADING MYTH The belief that the livestock sector emits more greenhouse gases than transportation originates from the 2006 FAO report “Livestock’s Long Shadow”. However, this claim is based on a distorted comparison:
- Livestock: Emissions were calculated considering the entire lifecycle of meat production (Life Cycle Assessment or LCA), from cereal cultivation to distribution and consumption.
- Transportation: Only tailpipe emissions were included, ignoring the full lifecycle impacts, such as the production of materials, energy consumption, and oil extraction.
For nearly 20 years, this flawed methodology has perpetuated the false notion that cattle have a greater environmental impact than transportation.
READ FRESH IDEAS AGAINST FOOD WASTE – PNR 286
THE DIFFERENCES CO2 and CH4 differ not only in molecular composition or global warming potential (methane is 28 times more potent than CO2) but also in their atmospheric lifespan.
CO2: Persists in the atmosphere for centuries.
CH4: Breaks down within 9-12 years.
This distinction divides them into:
- Stock gases (like CO2), which accumulate over time.
- Flow gases (like CH4), which cycle quickly.
We must recognize and leverage this crucial difference to develop truly effective climate policies.
GLOBAL EMISSIONS Fossil fuels (coal, gas, and oil) account for 78.4% of global CO2 eq emissions (industrial energy 24.2%, residential sector 17.5%, transportation 16.2%, chemical and cement industries 5.2%).
In contrast, livestock and related manure (livestock and manure) contribute only 5.8% of global emissions.
AN UNJUST SCAPEGOAT The narrative against the livestock sector, amplified by ideological and commercial interests, distracts from the real climate priorities. Comparing biogenic methane to fossil fuels risks driving ineffective policies and unfairly penalizing a sector critical to global food security.
THE VIRTUOUS CYCLE OF RUMINANTS Methane emissions from cattle are part of a natural, renewable cycle that does not introduce new carbon into the atmosphere:
- Plants absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, producing oxygen (which we breathe) and carbohydrates.
- Cattle, with their unique four-stomach digestive system and complex microbiome, digest cellulose — indigestible for humans — and convert it into methane (CH₄).
- Methane released into the atmosphere breaks down into CO₂ within 9-12 years, making it available to plants again.
This zero-sum cycle ensures that the amount of CO₂ released through methane is equal to the amount absorbed by plants initially. Additionally, ruminants utilize resources otherwise unusable, transforming them into valuable foods like milk and meat, reducing waste and environmental impacts from biomass management.
- Biogenic methane is part of a natural and renewable cycle that does not add new carbon.
THE REAL PROBLEM Fossil fuels (gas, oil, and coal), accumulated in the Earth’s crust over millions of years, have been extracted on a massive scale by humans only since 1850. The CO2 they release is new to the environment, adds carbon to the atmosphere, and accumulates for centuries, if not millennia.
INNOVATION Despite its zero-sum cycle, the livestock sector continues to evolve to reduce emissions and become a climate solution:
- Feed additives: Limit methane production during digestion.
- Methane capture: Transform emissions from manure into energy, reducing fossil fuel use.
These innovations push livestock farming beyond neutrality, actively contributing to global emission reductions.
Livestock, often unfairly blamed, is actually a climate asset. With innovative technologies and a natural, virtuous cycle, it can contribute to a resilient future by balancing food security with emission reductions.
