Earth Equity News

Meat Production is a Growing Concern. By Matthew Warren, The Australian, October 2, 2008. "There are two population booms on earth: people and animals to feed them. The human population is approaching seven billion and is expected to reach nine billion by 2050. In the parallel universe of farms and feedlots, there are more than 30 billion animals bred to help feed them...The World Bank classified about 5 per cent of the world's population as making up the global middle class in 1960. Today it is more than 8 per cent, or 600 million, and predicted to double again by 2030.... In 2002 per capita consumption of meat in the richest countries averaged 94kg a year. In the poorest countries it was 9kg. Global meat production is projected to more than double from 229 million tonnes in 1999-2001 to 465 million tonnes in 2050, while milk output is set to climb from 580 to 1043 million tonnes. But meat production is resource intensive and ruminant livestock such as sheep and cattle generate substantial amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas... The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that about 18 per cent of global greenhouse emissions come from livestock production. That's more than all the cars, trucks and planes in the world."