The Impact of Beef Production on Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the US and Potential Mitigation Strategies
Abstract
meat production have become more pressing. This paper explores the significant contribution of the livestock industry to greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions, primarily focusing on methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted throughout various stages of meat
production. Notably, beef production emerges as the main contributor to GHG emissions, with over 80% of methane generated during the
digestion of ruminants. The study analyzes current practices in meat production, identifies major sources of emissions, and discusses potential
mitigation strategies. Solutions such as improving feed efficiency and adopting sustainable agricultural practices are examined. This research
aims to enhance the understanding of sustainable food production and propose actionable strategies to reduce the environmental impact of
meat production, particularly in the United States.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
[1] Asem-Hiablie, S., Battagliese, T., Stackhouse-Lawson, K. R., & Rotz, C. A. (2018). A lifecycle assessment of the environmental impacts
of a beef system in the USA. ~the International Journal of LifeCycle Assessment, 24(3), 441455. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-018-
1464-6
[2] Diaz, F., Vignati, J. A., Marchi, B., Paoli, R., Zanoni, S., & Romagnoli, F. (2021). Effects of energy efficiency measures in the beef cold
Chain: a lifecycle-based study. Environmental and Climate Technologies, 25(1), 343355. https://doi.org/10.2478/rtuect-2021-0025
[3] Homem, B. G. C., Borges, L. P., De Lima, I. B. G., Guimares, B. C., Spasiani, P. P., Ferreira, I. M., Meo-Filho, P., Berndt, A., Alves, B.
J., Urquiaga, S., Boddey, R. M., & Casagrande, D. R. (2024). Forage peanut legume as a strategy for improving beef production without
increasing livestock greenhouse gas emissions. Animal, 101158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.animal.2024.101158
[4] Kalhor, T., Rajabipour, A., Akram, A., & Sharifi, M. (2016). Environmental impact assessment of chicken meat production using lifecycle
assessment. Information Processing in Agriculture, 3(4), 262271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inpa.2016.10.002
[5] Salter, A. M. (2016). Improving the sustainability of global meat and milk production.Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 76(1), 2227.
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0029665116000276
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.70711/frim.v2i9.5235
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.