Journal Article

Livestock production evolving to contribute to sustainable societies

Gill, M., Gibson, J. P., Lee, M. R. F.

2018

Overview

The GFP represents a unique resource that can assist with the urgent need to assess the role of ruminant livestock in meeting our requirements for food and abating their environmental impact in the broader context of contrasting agricultural systems across a wide range of climates and ecosystems. Givens challenges some of the analysis of evidence for the negative health impacts of consumption of meat and milk, pointing out the role of meat processing – which may have been essential in the past for ensuring food safety, but as we live longer can increase the incidence of diseases more associated with old age, such as cancer. Makkar also makes the important point about the need to consider the negative impacts of livestock production on the environment beyond simply greenhouse gas emissions, referring to water use and disruption of the nitrogen cycle. The final paper by Takahashi and colleagues describes the use of an intensively instrumented farm-scale ruminant research facility (a member of the GFP) located in southwest UK, to explore trade-offs between economic and environmental benefits and disbenefits of different management strategies.

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press,Elsevier Limited,Elsevier
• Subject: 21st century / Consumption / Diet / Editorial / Emission standards / Environmental impact / Farming systems / Farms / Feeds / Food / Food safety / Greenhouse gases / Livestock / Livestock production / Meat / Meat processing / Milk / Nitrogen cycle / Nutrition research / Phosphorus / Special Topic: Livestock production evolving to contribute to sustainable societies / Sustainability / Vegetarianism / Water use