2.  The livestock sector is a major player in climate change, responsible for 18 percent [or 1/5] of greenhouse gas emissions measured in CO2 equivalents (FAO Report, “Livestock’s Long Shadow”)

3.  “Give up meat for one day (per week) initially, and decrease it from there…In terms of immediacy of action and the feasibility of bringing about reductions in a short period of time, it clearly is the most attractive opportunity." “While the world is looking for sharp reductions in greenhouse gases responsible for climate change, growing global meat production is going to severely compromise future efforts”-Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, Chair of the IPCC

4. “ For the world’s higher income populations, greenhouse gas emissions from meat eating warrant the same scrutiny as do those from driving and flying …” From the article, “Food, livestock production, energy, climate change, and health,” The Lancet, September 13, 2007

5.  A University of Chicago study calculated that if Americans were to reduce meat consumption by just 20 percent it would be as if we all switched from a standard sedan to an ultra-efficient Prius.  Another 2007 study by the National Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science in Japan estimated that 2.2 pounds of beef is responsible for the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the average European car every 155 miles, and burns enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for nearly 20 days.  According to September 2008 study by the Food Climate Research Network of the University of Surrey, people will have to be rationed four modest portions of meat and one liter of milk a week if the world is to avoid run- away climate change.

6.  The effects of livestock on climate change include the methane (CH 4 ) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) produced from the enteric fermentation of livestock; deforestation to accommodate grazing ruminants and to grow crops for livestock feed; extensive use of nitrogen fertilizer to grow feed; soil carbon losses due to erosion and desertification from improper grazing, and as well intensive feed crop production; and fossil fuel use in the transport of grain to feedlots, the import/export of livestock products & waste, and in increased use of machinery on the farm.

7.  Livestock comprises 70 percent of the all agricultural land use and 30 of the land surface area on the planet.  It is the single largest contributing factor to tropical deforestation, especially the Amazon; specifically, deforestation to provide pastureland or livestock feed has contributed to at least 70 percent of the total deforestation of the Amazon that has occurred since the 1950s. It is also accountable for…  9 percent of CO² emissions from transportation and energy usage, as well as 65 percent of nitrous oxide emissions, which has 296 times the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of CO 2, and 37 percent of all human-induced methane, which has at least 23 times the amount of GWP than CO 2. Also… 70% of grain grown in the world is fed to livestock  The Haber-Bosch process, which produces ammonia in order to create nitrogen-based artificial fertilizer, is used to produce 100 million metric tons of fertilizer for feed crops annually (Steinfeld et al. 2006).

9.  Agricultural Industry Changes  Attainable best management practices could cut GHG emissions by 5.5-14% (Pew Commission)  Example: Soil management  – Reduce tilling  – Control erosion, cover crops  – Add organic matter  – Avoid overgrazing  – Avoid excessive fertilizers  – Avoid salinization

10. ROTATIONAL GRAZING SYSTEM CAFO SYSTEM

11.  “USDA data for large farms that raise animals as a proxy for CAFOs, [indicates] that the number of these operations increased by about 230 percent, from about 3,600 in 1982 to almost 12,000 in 2002. The number of animals raised on large farms also increased during this 20-year period, but the rate of increase varied by animal type,” (GAO, 2008).  The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that CAFOs expel 500 million tons of manure annually, outweighing human waste by 130 times, or about five tons per each U.S. citizen.  The ratio of fossil fuel energy inputs per unit of food energy from livestock goods produced industrially is about 35:1, whereas non-industrially produced livestock goods have a ratio of only 3:1 (Horrigan et al., 2002).  The United States has the highest methane emissions from livestock manure in the world, estimated at about 1.4 million tons of CH4 a year and growing (U.S. Inventory, 2004).

12.  “The practice of rotational grazing can be beneficial across all three major gases: soil carbon can be maintained and enhanced; livestock CH 4 emissions should decline due to improved forage quality; and N 2 O emissions can be avoided by eliminating the need for fertilizer applications on the pasture. These complex interactions among gases mean that it is important to consider not only carbon but all the greenhouse gas effects for certain sequestration practices” (EPA, 2006)  “Since pasture is the largest anthropogenic land use, improved pasture management could potentially sequester more carbon than any other practice” (IPCC, 2000).  Currently, only 10-15 % in the U.S. of livestock producers rely on pasture-based management system (personal communication, John Clearly of Organic Valley Co-Op)

13.  Many (or even a majority of) regions do not have soils & grasses suitable for ecologically-sound grazing.  Depending on the quality & type of forage, and due to higher life expectancies of grazing livestock animals, methane production may actually be higher per individual animal on pasture-based farms in comparison to feedlot operations.  According to the current consensus among most agronomists, many suitable pastures can be grazed continuously (using rest rotation cycles) for a period of 25-30 years, before they hit a saturation point and then begin to lose/leak carbon.  **Adequate grazing lands, or even sufficient land cover, is not available to rear enough livestock via pasture to satisfy meat & dairy consumption rates as they exist today, never mind as it’s projected to increase over the next several decades.

14. *Last year, a study by Carnegie Melon University concluded that production counts more than food miles for carbon-output, meaning: exempting red meat & dairy from one’s diet just one day a week did more to lower one’s carbon footprint than eating local every day of the week. (Journal of Environmental Science & Technology, April 15, 2008 )

15. AMERICANS HAVE THE HIGHEST PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION RATE OF MEAT & ANIMAL PRODUCTS IN THE WORLD (3Xs more than the global average) AND THE SECOND HIGHEST AGGREGATE CONSUMPTION RATE. Since 1961 annual U.S. per capita meat consumption has increased by 70% from 141 pounds to 223 pounds (100 kg). --annual per capita animal product consumption (meat, fish, eggs & dairy) is approximately 456 lbs Average for industrialized countries is 77 kg/person – For non-industrialized countries—27 kg/person

17.  Cattle-The beef cattle population in all developing countries including China increased by 1.4% per year in the period 1960-1990, and will increase by 1.2% per year in 1990-2010, 0.6% per year in 2010-2025 in the medium scenario.  Pigs-The population of pigs in all developing countries, including China, showed an increase of close to 4% per year in the period 1960-1990; in the medium scenario this increase rate will decrease to 2.7% per year in 1990-2010, 0.9% per year in 2010- 2025, respectively…  Poultry-The poultry population increased by close to 5% per year during the period 1960-1990, and even more than 6% per year in 1980-1990. In the medium scenario the number of animals will continue to increase during 1990-2010, but at a somewhat slower rate of 2.3% per year, and for 2010-2025…  Sheep and Goats-The sheep and goat population in all developing countries including China will continue its fast increase of 1.4% per year (1960-1990) during the period 1990-2010 (1.3% per year) according to the medium scenario, increasing even further in the period 2010-2025 (2.7% per year). -FAO census data

18.  Based on the current projections for human population increases and trends in dietary habits, global consumption rates of meat and dairy would have to decrease at a per capita rate of 90 grams a day by 2050 to stabilize livestock emissions (McMichael, et al., 2008).  In turn, United States citizens, as the leading per capita consumers of animal products, would have to decrease individual consumption of meat and dairy products by two-thirds (Neff et. al., 2008).

19.  A study conducted by the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future shows the nation’s top newspapers have largely overlooked the food system as one of the more important contributors to global climate change  The study looked at coverage by 16 of the nation’s largest newspapers and found that the greenhouse gas emissions from food production and agriculture was mentioned in only 2.4 percent of climate change articles. 18% of these articles mentioned livestock.  A comparative rhetorical analysis of the U.S. New York Times and the UK Guardian/Observer yielded that the UK source offered more coverage of the livestock/climate connections by a ratio of 3:1, with a mean average word count twice as long per article than the NYT.

20.  Is individual and voluntary change enough?  Standards & labeling (emissions ratings on meat, “sin taxes,” polluter pays)  Regulation of methods, energy efficiency  Institutional purchasing  $ for research  $ to stimulate enterprise / local markets  $ for communication campaigns  Food/ ag policy integrated into climate change policy

21.  In 2001, after reviewing USDA annual surveys of U.S. farm operations (called the Agricultural Resource Management Study), the GAO concluded that more than 80 percent of farm subsidies are distributed to large- and medium-sized farms, despite the fact that small farms outnumber them. Likewise, smaller farms received subsidy payments that averaged “much less” than those of medium- and large-scale farms (GAO, 2001). This disparity is due to the fact that farm payments were accorded by the production volume of a given operation (GAO, 2001).

22.  Created in 1996 Farm Bill to assist family farmers in adopting conservation practices and achieve sustainability -CAFOs exempt from funding  2002 Farm Bill enabled CAFO eligibility  Since then, the number of registered CAFOs in the U.S. increased by 22%  62% of EQIP funding goes to livestock practices  Receives more funding than any other conservation title in the Farm Bill  6.1 billion!

23.  The GAO also reported that the EPA has not properly enforced environmental regulations accorded to CAFOs and that the NRCS has failed to exercise discretion in allocating EQIP funds to optimize environmental benefits.  According to a report by the Union of Concerned Scientists, CAFOs receive approximately $113 million in EQIP funds annually. -annual cost-share subsidizes 75% of a typical CAFO EQIP project, compared to 55% for non-confinement livestock operations.

24.  The current economic, ecological, health and national security crises mark the potential for a turning point in the food movement.  There is a group working to create a cohesive strategy that unifies the existing elements of the movement and the organizations that are already working for change to inspire unprecedented gains in public awareness  Utilizing a series of online campaigns and small grass roots events as well as large events like the recent Slow Food Nation event (that drew over 85,000 visitors to San Francisco and generated over 600 print and web articles) to build the a large network with increasing influence and scope  The goal of the campaign will be to build a constituency and the common agenda required to fix our food system. This effort should focus on rebuilding independent family farm sector and shifting federal research to healthier foods, local production and away from industrialized agriculture

25.  As per IPCC recommendations, attempt to eat one meat-free day a week and increase from there, with an ultimate goal of 2/3 decrease or more.  Opt for lower-carbon animal products, such as poultry, eggs and goat dairy, over high-carbon red meat products (beef, pork and lamb) and cow dairy.  Opt for meat & dairy from sustainable, humane, local, and pasture- raised sources.  Advocate for an increase in local foods, as well as diverse vegetarian and vegan options on campuses, elementary/secondary schools, local hospitals, as well as in the workplace, restaurants and at home.  Support policies that favor organic, pasture-based animal agriculture over larger-scale confinement production.

26.  Incorporate “Meatless Mondays” at Campus Dining Halls.  Incorporate Low Carbon Menu days (that exempt high-carbon animal products like red meat & dairy).  Make sure dining hall offers an extensive variety of vegetarian ad vegan options daily.  Money saved from purchasing less animal products can be invested into purchasing local, sustainably-produced meat & dairy.

27.  http://www.takeabite.cc/  http://www.meatlessmonday.com/site/PageServer?pag ename=actiontools  http://coolfoodscampaign.org/what-you-can-do/  http://realfoodchallenge.org/resources  http://www.eatlowcarbon.org/  http://www.healthyschoollunches.org/