1. Environmental Implications of Animal Production
LO – 4.3 (l) Discuss the environmental implications of animal production

2. Greenhouse Gas Production
All living things produce greenhouse gases (GHG) – increasing earth’s temperatures
Most common GHG – water vapour, methane, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide & ozone
Ruminants produce large amounts of methane gas (CH4) – especially when reared in intensive production systems (e.g. feedlots in cattle) rather than extensive systems (e.g. pasture based systems)

3. Sources of GHG Carbon dioxide – fossil fuels – fuel for machinery
Methane – Livestock animals
Nitrous oxide – manure & artificial fertiliser application & loss of ammonia during growing season
(Hermansen et al., 2011)

4. Affect on Water Quality
Water quality can be affected when animals are allowed to drink directly from rivers / streams. They defecated in the water & stir up mud leading to pollution & reducing quality of water
Also, run-off from spreading of slurry, manure & fertilisers into water can also lead to a reduction in the quality of water
What can farmers do to protect the quality of water?

5. Smell
Odour that comes in spring (after 15th Jan) when farmers start to agitate tanks can be very strong & release vast amounts of GHG
Farmers need to reduce the amount of gas being released:
Anaerobic digestors
Trailing shoe – slurry spreading
Research topic – research the use of anaerobic digestors on farms - & state their advantages & disadvantages

6. Minimise Impact from Agriculture?
Reduce the carbon footprint on the farm
Can you describe 3 ways that farmers could reduce their carbon footprints & maybe turn their farms into ‘carbon sinks’

7. Bibliography
production-on-the-environment/
environment/environmental-impact-of-animal-production