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The Australian livestock industry is committed to finding ways to reduce our gross greenhouse gas emissions.
Through good management of soil and vegetation the industry also plays an important role in removing carbon from the atmosphere.
Research & Development
Through Meat & Livestock Australia, the Australian red meat industry invests significantly in research and development to reduce emissions from cattle and sheep, manage carbon stores in vegetation and soils at the same time as increasing productivity.
Our research is focused on reducing the amount of methane produced by ruminant animals in three key ways:
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- Since 1990 emissions from producing beef in Australia have decreased by 6.5% per kilogram
- The livestock industry is the only production industry in Australia to have reduced greenhouse gas emissions since 1990, the Kyoto baseline year.
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- Manipulation of nutrition and rumen function to lower emissions
- Animal breeding to select animals that produce lower emissions
- Whole farm system approaches and better herd management
World leaders
Since 1990 emissions from producing beef in Australia have decreased by 6.5% per kilogram*. Due to improved productivity, the age to market of animals is decreasing while at the same time the amount of meat being produced from each animal, on average, is increasing due to more efficient production methods.
The first Life Cycle Assessment undertaken on Australian red meat production systems showed that we have one of the lowest carbon emission profiles of any major meat producing country. The Life Cycle Assessment study was undertaken by the University of New South Wales in 2009.
What are the numbers?
According to the latest Australian Government National Greenhouse Gas Inventory, Australia's livestock industry (including dairy) produces 10.2% of Australia's total greenhouse gas emissions. Most of these emissions come from methane which is produced by the natural digestion process of cattle and sheep.
Research released in 2011 by CSIRO found that the amount of methane emitted from cattle fed on tropical grasses in northern Australia is up to 30 per cent less than the figures currently used to calculate the northern cattle industry's contribution to Australia's greenhouse gas accounts. If this methodology is endorsed by the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory the industry's overall contribution will be reduced.
The National Greenhouse Gas Inventory is based on the current international Kyoto Protocol carbon accounting system that doesn't fully account for the capacity of trees, grass and soil to store carbon as part of the carbon cycle. A recent report funded by the Queensland Government found that if all carbon sinks were taken into consideration, the Queensland beef industry (47% of Australia's cattle) would be close to carbon neutral, following the ban on tree clearing in 2009.
Well managed grazing lands can store more carbon than forests
Australia's livestock farmers manage not only their cattle and sheep, but all other living organisms on their property. The health of the soil, trees, micro-organisms, native animals and vegetation are essential to our farmers' livelihoods and is why farmers spend considerable time and effort ensuring they are well managed. This is also important for Australia's overall emissions profile. A worldwide analysis of the effects of land management on soil carbon showed there is on average about 8% more soil carbon under well-managed pasture than under native forests.