Improved animal health could address climate crisis, research reveals
Parasites, mastitis and lameness all contributed to the emissions burden.
New research from a collaboration of 16 global researchers has revealed the climate impact of poor farm animal health.
The group, including veterinary professionals, scientists and ecologists from 14 institutions and three continents, sought to address the climate impact of farm animals without reducing livestock animals or food production.
The findings suggest that poor health among farm animals, including infection and disease, could be contributing to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Common, low-grade infections and production diseases, such as parasites, mastitis and lameness, were considered accountable for a large part of the emissions burden.
However, the researchers say that, because these health issues are so common, they are not being tracked as closely as more high-profile disease outbreaks.
This means that these lower grade infections and diseases are also poorly represented when assessing GHG emissions.
Although there have been effective initiatives implemented to reduce emissions through improved animal health, they are often not acknowledged or measured in national inventories. This means that they might not receive the backing they need to continue being effective.
The researchers recommend that, through better focus and measurement of animal health, farmers and policymakers can significantly reduce GHG emissions without reducing food production.
The group says that a rigorous methodology is needed to estimate farm animals’ GHG emissions and the achievable benefits that improved health could lead to. They have developed a framework to quantify the relationship between animal health and GHG emissions and to account for positive action.
They suggest that this approach will not only tackle climate change, but also lead to cost-effective food production and enhanced animal welfare.
Frances Ryan, a co-author of the study, works at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences’ Centre for Supporting Evidence-Based Interventions in Livestock (SEBI-Livestock).
Dr Ryan said: “Livestock are crucial to livelihoods around the world and play an especially important role for food security, and the provision of nutrient-dense food in the global south.
“Reducing emissions by improving animal health allows us to address environmental issues while protecting people who rely on livestock.”
The full study can be found in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.
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