In the face of escalating climate challenges, the livestock industry is the focus of heated discussions, blamed for considerable greenhouse gas emissions and environmental decline. Yet, the livestock industry is indispensable, as our global food system must serve 10 billion people by 2050, while bridging nutrition gaps that leave 200 million children malnourished each year.
However, the threat of animal disease often stands between livestock producers and meeting sustainability goals. When livestock are sick, the animals produce less while requiring more water, feed, and other resources to return to health. And it means other animals must be raised to meet consumer demand. This leads to wasted emissions that increase the overall environmental footprint of production.
That leaves us with only one choice: to find innovative solutions to make the livestock industry more sustainable. Through sustainable production, livestock can become a powerful ally in combating climate change and bolstering food security, driving carbon sequestration, and enhancing biodiversity.
Animal health tools
The good news is, we already have vaccines and other animal health tools that can make the livestock industry more sustainable. Research shows that protecting and successfully treating animals against diseases and other health-related issues can curb the livestock industry’s greenhouse gas emissions. For example, vaccinating cattle against East Coast fever reduces emissions by up to 40% in East African countries, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN. And according to research firm Oxford Analytica, a 10% decrease in global livestock disease levels in a given year can lead to an 800-million-ton decrease in the industry’s overall emissions—roughly equivalent to the average annual carbon footprint of 117 million Europeans.
Consider too, that animal health today is as much about farming data as it is about animals. In addition to science-driven medicines and vaccines, it requires innovation using data-driven insights to help farmers make everyday decisions like how to breed their animals, what to feed them, and which ones should be part of their herd’s future. On-farm diagnostic tools, for example, help producers detect potential health problems such as mastitis in dairy cows before their next milking—and use this information to deliver more targeted therapy only to cows that need it.
Genetic testing is another breakthrough in on-farm data. By combining herd records with genetic evaluations, dairy producers can make better predictions on issues such as greater mastitis resistance, milk production, fertility, and all the traits that are economically and environmentally important for a healthier and more sustainable herd. By integrating digital and data analytics with traditional medicines, vaccines, diagnostics, and genetics, livestock veterinarians and producers can effectively address an animal’s entire lifecycle—to predict, prevent, detect, and treat illnesses effectively with the right solution at the right time.
The global community’s role
The global community is finally taking note of how addressing animal health can play a role in conversations around climate change. With animal health at the forefront of discussions at COP28 in Dubai, FAO urged nations to “protect animal health . . . and increase coverage of livestock vaccination” to accelerate global climate action.
As the CEO of a leading global animal health company, I believe there are essential steps countries can take to improve the health of animals for a more sustainable food supply. Through proactive and preventative vaccination and robust surveillance systems that help us respond to disease outbreaks, we can start to implement these powerful tools to raise the bar on the health of animals and improve the sustainability of the livestock sector.
Some posit that eliminating the global livestock industry would address the methane problem entirely. With deeply ingrained cultural practices around the world, however, this change would take decades to implement. Moreover, the FAO has noted that improving animal health tools, technologies, and nutrition could achieve a remarkable 35% reduction in emissions, compared to just a 4% reduction from eliminating livestock. This highlights the significant potential for innovation within the livestock industry to make a positive environmental impact.
Solutions already exist
Time is not on our side when it comes to solving climate change, but the solutions to ensure healthier animals—and to make dairy and meat production less carbon intensive—already exist. Governments need to guarantee accessibility by removing trade and regulation barriers that make efficient livestock production too expensive or unavailable in local markets. Emerging economies, where the incidence of disease is higher (and in turn, emissions intensity is greater), should prioritize animal health as a strategy to reduce the carbon footprint. Albania, Burundi, the Gambia, and Sri Lanka, have already taken the lead, adding animal health in their Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs) strategies. More countries should follow their lead.
As world leaders convene for important gatherings like the UN General Assembly and COP29 to discuss the best ways to control rising temperatures, they need to commit to policies that will make for healthier animals as an immediate opportunity to mitigate climate change. Our planet and its people depend on it.
Kristin Peck is CEO of Zoetis.