Most cattle graze for the first part of their lives and then are fed carbon-intensive grains and legumes for the second part. In fact, a majority of the world’s crops become feed for cattle and other livestock. In both tropical and temperate regions, much of the same land used to graze livestock and grow feed could instead regenerate tall grasses and forest, among which - as well as in the soil beneath – much more carbon could be absorbed and sequestered than in land set aside for grazing and feed. If regeneration of pasture and forest would occur on a large, global scale, then as much as half of today’s atmospheric carbon could potentially be absorbed.
The documentary Meat the Truth from the Nicolaas G. Pierson Foundation is now available on YouTube. DVDs can be purchased here.
At the same time, many carbon emissions from livestock’s breathing and other excretions could be stopped. Most important, carbon absorption in forest, grasses and soil reclaimed from livestock and feed could be the feasible way to absorb a significant amount of today’s atmospheric carbon in the near term. This analysis shows why Lord Stern dares to imagine a world where not all land today dedicated to livestock and feed would remain so. By replacing meat and dairy products with alternatives, consumers can collectively take a single powerful action to reverse climate change. Learn more at World Watch Institute
