Christmas is quite close about less than 80 days to the fun that comprises the festive season. Imagine been told to put a total stop to meat consumption?
As a Kid, I certainly will feel so bad about been told to curtail my meat consumption let alone been banned from eating meat. As an enlightened Adult and enthusiast in Climate change education and eradication, I know better.
Despite technological advancement, agriculture still remains the mainstay of the economy of some countries and more fascinating is the fact that technology has found it's way into agriculture too with precision agriculture, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain all integrated in Agriculture today.
No matter how bad an economy might become, we all need food to survive and in surviving more, good food is essential.
Animal husbandry has more devastating effect to the environment than Crop farming system. Products of animal husbandry such as; Meat is a threat to the environment and causes Global warming in the long run.
Meat type such as; Beef constitutes a higher tendency and risk in contributing to global warming. This is more noticeable in the fact that Cattle requires more resources (land, green plants amongst others) than other livestock species such as; Poultry, Snail and Rabbit.
Secondly, Cattle emits more Methane than other livestock species put together. This is injurious to human and it's effect deadly.
Forest land are more often utilized in rearing Cattle. In Nigeria, Agricultural lands are sometimes used in Cattle rearing thus, leading to land degradation and subsequently Erosion of such lands.
The amount of Carbon dioxide and it's equivalent released into the atmosphere by these livestock is unimaginably devastating.
In Nigeria, Cattle rearing is a common practice and it entails nomadic farm practice where the herdsmen migrates from place to place in search of pasture for their cattle. Later, the Cattle is sold for Beef, Hydes (Native Name ‘Ponmo'), Manure, and other uses. Ponmo for instance is a common delicacy in Nigeria with lots of buyers patronizing it’s vendors consistently despite the very insignificant health benefits of it, it is still consumed. Apparently, this could turn out to be “Best food becoming worst nightmare “.
According to the World Resources Institute, UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and Pitesky et al burning of fossil fuels for energy, livestock farming and deforestation contributes hugely to global warming. (Fossil fuel is responsible for 64% of greenhouse gas emission with animal agriculture and deforestation contributing 13-18%).
Although, these percentages of emission of greenhouse gases varies and depends on nations and the quantity produced by the contributor of global warming (Fossil fuel, Deforestation and livestock farming).
For example in the United States, fossil fuel based energy is responsible for about 80% of the total greenhouse gas emissions as compared to about 6% from animal agricultural practice
Heat waves generated by animal farming is exceedingly high and affects not just the environment but humans too directly.
Sadly, precautions are not taken by most farmers in cooling off the heat produced by their farm animals. Oftentimes, the heat that emanates from the livestock, kills a few or all of them and generates some diseases which affects human later.
There are several diseases that have been around for some time and were attributable to Animals as the causative factor. Example; Ebola, Lassa fever, Rabbies, Plague, Listeriosis and Cat Scratch Disease. The list is numerous
While energy generation, transportation methods and modes, Deforestation, and inadequate social infrastructures such as; Drainages have been targets of governments and Climate change campaigners as agents of global warming, the impact from food production has often been neglected. Food shouldn't be given a lesser focus as it has witnessed owing to the fact that We all eat food daily and the food we eat makes or mars our health.
Eat food as though it is your medicine otherwise, you might eat medicine as though it were your food.
Balanced diets are great for healthy living and should be effectively offered to people of all age categories as Imbalanced diets especially diets those low in fruits, vegetables but high in read, processed meat are responsible for health challenges.
High consumption of red meat is linked with poor health outcomes ranging from Heart disease, stroke, diabetes and various types of cancers. These diseases as well as other negative impacts of meat consumption on human health can be reduced when alternative to meat is produced.
Meat is not just the only way in which Farm animals impact the climate. Deforestation of land for agricultural purposes is another way though the attention on this is high among relevant stakeholders but more work and sensitization still needs to be done.
Recall the tag in Environmental campaigns on Planting a Tree?
How effective has this tag been carried out practically? Large parcels of Lands and forest cover are being destroyed by migration of nomadic herdsmen continually.
Greenhouse gas emissions are just been neglected from farm animals and on the perspective of animal husbandry.
As malodorous and spiteful as Pigs maybe in such regions, the bulk of gaseous emissions comes from Cattle, Poultry, Goats and Sheep.
Meat consumption is common globally with a higher records in the U.S, Kuwait, Australia (120-110kg).
We all cannot go vegan (Be a Vegetarian) but there are pertinent roles we could play in ensuring a reduction of global warming from meat consumption.
Perhaps, Bangladesh should be given more appreciation as the most vegetarian country (4kg).
WAY FORWARD AND RECOMMENDED SOLUTIONS
We all cannot go vegan but there great roles we can play in reducing global warming via safe consumption of Meat.
Enforcing a total ban on meat consumption as a method of curtailing global warming caused by Meat is not the ideal step to be taken rather, it will escalate into protest, violence and infringement on human rights.
Who says No to a well prepared stew sauce garnished with Meat and a host of other condiments?
Our Mothers and Children won't easily forgive anyone who bans them from eating meat. We need to protect their right and help them live a healthy lifestyle.
There are lots of ways in tackling these challenge
Firstly, food wastage should be discouraged by ensuring we consume what we can fully eat. Rather than wasting food, give out some to the needy and less fortunate.
When food is been discarded or thrown away consistently, the resources in shipping, processing, and producing it becomes futile
When a farm animal dies, their carcasses should either be buried far away or burnt. Astonishingly, some people prefer to consume their dead farm animals without enquiring the cause of it's death.
Proper steps should be taken to minimize spread of diseases within Farm animals as the consequence might hit human too
Secondly, purchase of organic food or a shift of focus from beef to other protein sources which are organic is nice.
Organic foods are grown without genetically modified organisms and are well suitable for reducing global warming.
Organic foods are more nutritious and safer for consumption. It promotes genetic biodiversity and creates lesser damage to the soil than inorganic foods.
Lastly, adopting and Entrepreneur lifestyle of producing what we eat and consuming what we eat is essential in reducing the impact of food particularly processed foods.
Effective livestock farming should include necessary training, good management system and safe policies in the quest to reducing global warming effects.
REFERENCE
Eat Less Meat to avoid Global Warming
Grassland Beef is bad for the Planet
Meat Contribution to Global Warming
Article Written by Michael Ugom