INTERNATIONAL MEAT SECRETARIAT

RUMINANTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Hsin Huang, Secretary General IMS

FAO, 4 July 2012

INTERNATIONAL MEAT SECRETARIAT

The International Meat Secretariat (IMS) brings together meat and livestock organisations throughout the world

Non-profit making association.

Forum for the exchange of ideas and experiences on international issues: conferences, meetings, publications

Representation in international organisations: FAO, OIE, OECD, WHO

Members: national meat and livestock organisations, corporations and other bodies connected with the meat and livestock sector

More than 90 members in over 30 countries around the world

LIVESTOCK MEANS:

• Meat, leather, wool

• High quality protein, heme iron, vitamin b12

• Landscape, biodiversity

• Water and soil quality

• Economic and social benefits

INTERNATIONAL MEAT SECRETARIAT

GRASSLAND PROVIDES MANY SERVICES

In Europe (27), 1/3 of agricultural land is permanent pastures, used by livestock

Climate regulation by carbon sequestration

Ex : France : 33% of livestock farming

greenhouse gas emissions offset by carbon

storage in pastures

Water resources & Water availability

Biodiversity : Species, pollination, environmental services

Landscape

Fire regulation

Soil structure and fertility

Flood regulation

In agronomic systems :

complementarity between livestock and crops

Grassland and forest : same sequestration after LUC !

Climate regulation

50 % bird species depend on habitats for breeding and feeding (Pain and Pienkowski, 1997)

Grasslands represent the most species-rich vegetation types (up to 80 plant species/m²) (Vandewalle et al., 2010 )

Agricultural landscapes :

major habitat for biodiversity

Biodiversity

0

40

80

120

160

200

Grassland Young fallow land

Medium fallow land

Old fallow land with

trees

Nu

mb

er

of

sp

ec

ies

vegetation

grains

WHAT DO U.S. CATTLE EAT?

THE U.S. CATTLE HERD CONSUMES:

• 80% nutrients in form of forages

• 20% in the form of concentrates

Forages –grasses, herbs, hay

Concentrates –corn, corn-mill by-product, ethanol by-product, cotton by-product, broken cookies, potato slurry, citrus pulp, etc.

MOST OF THIS IS NOT FIT FOR HUMANS!

U.S. BEEF ENV. FOOTPRINT 1977 vs 2007

In 1977 it took five animals to produce the same amount of beef as four animals in 2007

Improved productivity means fewer resources required to produce same amount beef:

• 19% less feed

• 12% less water

• 33% less land

EXAMPLES OF SUSTAINABILTY

EFFORTS BY IMS MEMBERS

U.S. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, LCA

with BASF

U.S. National Pork Board “Live Swine Carbon

Footprint Calculator”

Canada, LCA of Quebec Pork

Brazil, voluntary moratorium on soybeans grown

only on deforested Amazon post 2006

U.K., Greenhouse Gas Action Plan

Australia, National Environmental Sustainability

Strategy

Etc., etc.

BENCHMARK FOR SHEEP GHG FOOTPRINT

TO BETTER ENABLE DIRECT ON FARM COMPARISONS

• Help farmers improve CONTINOUSLY environmental performance • Help farmers improve PROFITABILITY

WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO ACHIEVE?

PRODUCERS

• Produce more of what we want

• Produce less of what we don’t want

• Continuous improvement « journey » not a « destination »,

• Identify hotspots

• Improve profitability

CONSUMERS?

DON’T CONFUSE THE CONSUMER

GREENHOUSE GASES (less is better)

Product A < Product B

Should consumer choose between NZL lamb vs UK lamb? Food miles debate

Should consumer choose between chicken or steak? One industry vs another

Should consumer choose between vegetables or meat? Vegetarian argument

DON’T CONFUSE THE CONSUMER

BIODIVERSITY (more is better)

Product A < Product B

Should consumer choose between local vs foreign (e.g Costa Rica, Amazon, Africa)?

Should one type of biodiversity be favored over another (e.g. grasslands vs forests, man-made « Europe » vs. « natural »)?

DON’T CONFUSE THE CONSUMER

GREENHOUSE GASES (less is better)

Product A < Product B

BIODIVERSITY (more is better)

Product A < Product B

COMPOSITE INDEX 50/50 weights

Product A = Product B

CREDIBILITY?

WHERE THERE IS SMOKE,

THERE IS FIRE!

KEEP IT IN PERSPECTIVE

CONCLUSIONS

NEED FOR SHARED ENVIRONMENTAL

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Pre-competitive issue

Need for international normalized methods

Realistic

Credible

Partnership with FAO on LCA

Partnership with FAO GAA

FINAL THOUGHTS

Life-cycle analysis important but:

Don’t forget biology and agronomy

Environment is not limited to carbon

Count positive contributions as well –social

and environmental services provided by

livestock

Not to mention feeding 9billion by 2050

Be proud!