{"id":23482,"date":"2024-04-26T08:01:03","date_gmt":"2024-04-26T06:01:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carnisostenibili.it\/?p=23482"},"modified":"2024-04-29T10:33:53","modified_gmt":"2024-04-29T08:33:53","slug":"investing-in-sustainable-livestock-climate-and-development-opportunities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carnisostenibili.it\/en\/investing-in-sustainable-livestock-climate-and-development-opportunities\/","title":{"rendered":"Why invest in sustainable livestock"},"content":{"rendered":"

The question is not whether to invest in the livestock sector but how to do it sustainably.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The world has become increasingly concerned about the <\/span><\/span><\/span>environment<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> and <\/span><\/span><\/span>climate change<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> in recent years. All major sectors – including <\/span><\/span><\/span>agriculture and livestock<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> – have been scrutinised for their <\/span><\/span><\/span>impact on global warming<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> to verify the figures and understand how and where to intervene. In the agricultural sector, in particular, livestock production has been identified as a significant source of <\/span><\/span><\/span>climate-changing emissions<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>, not only <\/span><\/span><\/span>methane<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> (CH4) but also <\/span><\/span><\/span>nitrous oxide<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> (N2O) and <\/span><\/span><\/span>carbon dioxide<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> (CO2). We are well aware that the data is not the same everywhere.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Italy<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/a>, for example, is <\/span><\/span><\/span>one of the most virtuous countries<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>. But this is not always the case abroad. This has made the sector less attractive in the eyes of financial institutions and development agencies, which increasingly focus on the <\/span><\/span><\/span>sustainability of their investment<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> portfolios.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A recent article, “<\/span><\/span><\/span>Investing in low-emission and resilient livestock production: the why and how<\/span><\/span><\/a>” by <\/span><\/span><\/span>Mottet, Teillard and \u00d6zkan<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>, published in <\/span><\/span><\/span>Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>, questions <\/span><\/span><\/span>how to invest in the livestock sector<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>, highlighting that <\/span><\/span><\/span>the crucial question is “not whether or not to invest in this sector, but how to do it sustainably”<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>. To support this new approach, the authors argue that financial institutions should equip themselves with specific data and tools to <\/span><\/span><\/span>assess the climate co-benefits of livestock production<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>. This change of perspective is essential to reconcile<\/span><\/span><\/span> environmental sustainability <\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>with the<\/span><\/span><\/span> socio-economic role of the livestock<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> sector<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The benefits of investing in agriculture and livestock: food and jobs<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n

As the paper points out, investors have focused on <\/span><\/span><\/span>valuing total emissions<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>, neglecting <\/span><\/span><\/span>the multiple benefits of livestock<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>, such as its <\/span><\/span><\/span>crucial role in food security<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>, nutrition, job creation and the livelihoods of billions worldwide.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

However, as the authors point out, we have <\/span><\/span><\/span>a limited budget for greenhouse gas emissions<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> to keep global warming below 1.5 or 2\u00b0C, and decisions about how to spend it should be <\/span><\/span><\/span>based on the overall benefits achieved<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>. For example, as the text notes, <\/span><\/span><\/span>“investing” one tonne of CO2 in agriculture, including livestock, generates about $600 of the average global GDP<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>. It generates more than $2000 if invested in other sectors such as industry and services. Regarding employment, however, <\/span><\/span><\/span>a tonne of CO2 generated in agriculture creates twice as many jobs as in other sectors<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, only by <\/span><\/span><\/span>investing in agriculture<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> that CO2 can be used to <\/span><\/span><\/span>produce food and nutrients<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>. In light of these data, it would therefore seem to be in the interests of <\/span><\/span><\/span>job creation and food security<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> to prioritise using our <\/span><\/span><\/span>limited carbon budget<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> in the agricultural sector and, therefore, to direct more and more investment to this sector. This is done to <\/span><\/span><\/span>maximise the overall benefits<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> of economic development, employment, and food security.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Investing in sustainable livestock production to tackle the climate crisis<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n

Rather than rethinking investments from a sustainable perspective, choosing not to invest in this sector would also <\/span><\/span><\/span>ignore the contribution livestock can make to the fight against climate change<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> by financing supply chains with low greenhouse gas emissions.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

By <\/span><\/span><\/span>supporting sustainable livestock production<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> that is resilient to climate change, we could effectively <\/span><\/span><\/span>support the transition to lower-impact agriculture<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>. For example, the paper cites the <\/span><\/span><\/span>FAO<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> study “<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>Tackling climate change through livestock<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/a>“<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>, in which Gerber and the other authors “estimate that<\/span><\/span><\/span> a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is achievable globally using best practices<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>“. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in “<\/span><\/span><\/span>Climate change mitigation and productivity gains in livestock supply chains: insights from regional case studies<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span>“, <\/span><\/span><\/span>Anne Mottet<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> and her colleagues “calculate <\/span><\/span><\/span>a potential reduction in emissions<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> of up to 24% in dairy production in East Africa <\/span><\/span><\/span>through improvements in feed quality, animal health and husbandry<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>, and from 14% to 38% in other systems and regions”.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The authors of the publication stress that <\/span><\/span><\/span>it is vital that financial institutions and development agencies continue to invest in smallholder and pastoral livestock production<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> in low- and middle-income countries to make it more efficient and sustainable.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

By <\/span><\/span><\/span>improving livestock supply chains<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> through these <\/span><\/span><\/span>investments<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>, livestock-related greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced while <\/span><\/span><\/span>increasing the climate resilience of communities<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> involved in the sector, particularly in developing countries.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The role of research in assessing the climate<\/b> imp<\/b>act<\/b> of livestock production<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n

However, having <\/span><\/span><\/span>the right information to make investments supporting sustainable livestock<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> supply chains while mitigating climate impacts is essential. Unfortunately, as the authors point out, <\/span><\/span><\/span>the specific data needed to make an accurate assessment are unavailable in all countries<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>. In this area, scientific research is key in guiding the investment decisions of financial institutions and development agencies. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In particular, it is esse<\/span><\/span><\/span>ntial to assess and measure the mitigation potential<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> of<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> the options available, both through <\/span><\/span><\/span>improved livestock management and new technologies<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Research should also propose <\/span><\/span><\/span>methodologies and criteria<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> that allow <\/span><\/span><\/span>broader environmental, economic and social sustainability dimensions<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> to be included in impact assessments <\/span><\/span><\/span>rather than focusing solely on greenhouse gas emissions<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>. In this way, it would be possible to <\/span><\/span><\/span>direct investment towards truly resilient and sustainable livestock<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> supply chains with a systemic vision.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The question is not whether to invest in the livestock sector but how to do it sustainably.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":23483,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[676],"tags":[5937,5934,5936,4981,4216,5935],"class_list":["post-23482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economics-waste","tag-anne-mottet-en","tag-climate-co-benefits-of-livestock-farming","tag-climate-resilience","tag-modern-livestock-farming","tag-sustainable-livestock-farming","tag-sustainable-livestock-investments"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t