Raising animals for food (including land used for grazing and land used to grow feed crops) now uses a staggering 30% of the Earth’s land mass. (Livestock’s Long Shadow: Environmental Issues and Options, a 2006 report published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization)
How many acres of land does the average farm have?
· There is also a highly unequal distribution of land use between livestock and crops for human consumption. If we combine pastures used for grazing with land used to grow crops for animal feed, livestock accounts for 77% of global farming land. While livestock takes up most of the world’s agricultural land it only produces 18% of the world’s calories and 37% of total …
How much of the world’s agricultural land is used for livestock?
If we combine pastures used for grazing with land used to grow crops for animal feed, livestock accounts for 77% of global farming land. While livestock takes up most of the world’s agricultural land it only produces 18% of the world’s calories and 37% of total protein. 3
How much land is used to raise animals for food?
Land. Raising animals for food (including land used for grazing and land used to grow feed crops) now uses a staggering 30% of the Earth’s land mass.
How can I view the total land used for agriculture?
· What makes that number so outrageous is that there is a surplus of 1.39 billion pounds of cheese in the US alone right now. Dairy farmers are producing milk at record …
How much of land is used for animal agriculture?
Livestock takes up nearly 80% of global agricultural land, yet produces less than 20% of the world’s supply of calories (as shown in the visualization).
How much land does the meat industry take up?
Nearly 60% of the world’s agricultural land is used for beef production, yet beef accounts for less than 2% of the calories that are consumed throughout the world. Beef makes up 24% of the world’s meat consumption, yet requires 30 million square kilometres of land to produce.
How much land in the UK is used for livestock?
Land. The agricultural area used is 23.07 million acres (9.34 million hectares), about 70% of the land area of England. 36% of the agricultural land is croppable (arable), or 25% of the total land area. Most of the rest is grassland, rough grazing, or woodland.
What percentage of crops are fed to animals?
Share All sharing options for: How much of the world’s cropland is actually used to grow food? Just 55 percent of the world’s crop calories are actually eaten directly by people. Another 36 percent is used for animal feed. And the remaining 9 percent goes toward biofuels and other industrial uses.
How much space do cows take up?
For cows, the quality of your land matters just as much as the quantity. Cows require a considerable amount of space when compared to other livestock. “You want at least an acre per cow,” Robbins said. “If they’re going to have a baby, you want two acres for a cow-calf pair.
How much of UK land is agriculture?
current land use The total agricultural area in the UK is around 17.6 million hectares, with an additional 3.2 million hectares covered by woodland and forests. The agricultural area, excluding woodland, accounts for 72% of the total area of land.
What is the biggest use of land?
Agriculture is a major use of land. Half of the world’s habitable land is used for agriculture. The extensive land use has a major impact on the earth’s environment as it reduces wilderness and threatens biodiversity.
Is UK self sufficient in food?
The UK is not self-sufficient in food production; it imports 48% of the total food consumed and the proportion is rising. Therefore, as a food-trading nation, the UK relies on both imports and a thriving agricultural sector to feed itself and drive economic growth.
How much of the world’s land is livestock?
If we combine pastures used for grazing with land used to grow crops for animal feed, livestock accounts for 77% of global farming land.
What percentage of land is used for agriculture?
Half of all habitable land is used for agriculture. 2. This leaves only 37% for forests; 11% as shrubs and grasslands; 1% as freshwater coverage; and the remaining 1% – a much smaller share than many suspect – is built-up urban area which includes cities, towns, villages, roads and other human infrastructure.
What is pastureland used for?
Pastureland (permanent meadows and pasture) For most countries, the majority of agricultural land is used for livestock rearing in the form of pastureland. In the map here we see the share of permanent meadows and pasture as a percentage of total land area.
What are the two main uses of agricultural land?
There are two main uses of agricultural land: arable farming (which is land dedicated to growing crops), and pastureland ( which includes meadows and pastures used for livestock rearing). In the chart here we see a global map of land used for arable agriculture (as a share of total land area).
What percentage of land is used for livestock grazing?
For most countries, land dedicated to cropland is typically below 20 percent , with many countries dedicating less than 10 percent. There are some notable exceptions, however; countries in South Asia and Europe allocate a large share of land area to arable farming. India, Bangladesh, Ukraine and Denmark all dedicated more than half of total land area to cropland in 2015.
What is the agricultural area?
The agricultural area is the sum of arable land, permanent crops, permanent meadows and pastures.
What is cropland measured in?
This visualisation shows total cropland (which does not include land for grazing) over the long-term, measured in hectares.
What percentage of fossil fuels are used in animal production?
More than a third of all raw materials and fossil fuels consumed in the United States are used in animal production (“Ecological Cooking” by Joanne Stepaniak and Kathy Hecker)
How much water does it take to produce 1 pound of meat?
Nearly half of all the water used in the United States goes to raising animals for food (“The Food Revolution” by John Robbins). It takes more than 2,400 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of meat and only 25 gallons to produce one pound of wheat (“Water Inputs in California Food Production” by Marcia Kreith) …
How much fuel does a hamburger use?
Producing a single hamburger uses enough fuel to drive 20 miles and causes the loss of five times its weight in topsoil. (“The Food Revolution” by John Robbins)
Is animal based food a humanitarian problem?
This is not just a problem that impacts our planet, it’s a humanitarian crisis. Our demand for animal based products is diverting precious resources like land, water and fossil fuels to produce farmed animals instead of feeding the estimated billion + people that are malnourished in the world.
How has animal agriculture made it possible for food corporations to turn farms into efficient factories?
The advent of industrial animal agriculture has made it possible for food corporations to turn farms into efficient factories, by doing so, disregarding the fact that they are dealing with sentient beings and forcing them to endure a lifetime of suffering and cruelty.
How does factory farming maximize profits?
Factory farming, from a business perspective, is a brilliant way to maximize profits by dramatically increasing the supply while at the same time bringing down production costs. And if factory farming was dealing with the production of cotton T-shirts or toys then it wouldn’t be as objectionable as it is.
Why do multinationals have complete control over their own production?
And because they are able to contract the dwindling number of farms to produce animal products their way , they have complete control.
Why don’t humans need animals?
Humans don’t need to consume animals in order to be healthy and survive. And we certainly don’t need to treat animals like machinery or commodities. Industrial animal agriculture is responsible for the suffering and slaughter of trillions of animals each and every year around the globe. It is responsible for the degradation …
What is factory farming?
Factory farming is the answer corporations found when the question was about turning animal agriculture into an industrial operation.
What would happen if people cared about animals?
If they care about animals, they wouldn’t breed them into existence for imminent slaughter in the first place.
Why do farmers treat animals the same as workers treat equipment or machinery in a factory?
By treating farm animals the same as workers treat equipment or machinery in a factory, farmers are able to raise and produce animals at extraordinary rates. Doing so makes it final product, clothing or food in most cases, significantly cheaper for the consumer.
How much more money does animal agriculture generate than plant agriculture?
While animal agriculture generates about $35 billion more than plant agriculture, the expenses generated by animal agriculture are considerably higher—about $55.8 billion more than in plant farming. Based on these numbers, the report concludes that “plant-based agriculture grows 512% more pounds of food than animal-based agriculture on 69% …
How much more land does plant based agriculture use?
And it does so more efficiently. This is because plant-based agriculture uses 115 million acres less land.
What is a faunalytics?
Faunalytics is a nonprofit research organization dedicated to helping animals by providing useful information to advocates to help them increase their impact.
How much more food does plant based agriculture produce than animal based agriculture?
Based on these numbers, the report concludes that “plant-based agriculture grows 512% more pounds of food than animal-based agriculture on 69% of the mass of land that animal-based agriculture uses.”.
Is animal agriculture more resource intensive than plant agriculture?
The fact that animal agriculture is much more resource intensive than plant agriculture has become fairly well known among animal advocates. And it is considered a useful message during advocacy. Faunalytics has looked into this phenomenon through many lenses including water use, and protein production. Many more studies exist on the topic than we are even able to cover. Nevertheless, resource use in animal agriculture remains a key topic for animal advocates to keep tabs on. This helps with reporting their findings to each other and the public.
Does the Humane Party care about animal welfare?
This is not to say that the Humane Party doesn’t care about animal welfare or ethics —as discussed below, their mission is an ethical one—but instead, that the focus is simply on economic efficiency. This can, in turn, reinforce an ethical point.
Is resource use important in animal agriculture?
Nevertheless, resource use in animal agriculture remains a key topic for animal advocates to keep tabs on. This helps with reporting their findings to each other and the public. One group that has dived into the topic, and that is now delivering a thorough analysis, is the Humane Party.
How does animal waste enter water?
Animal waste and wastewater can enter water bodies from spills or breaks of waste storage structures (due to accidents or excessive rain), and non-agricultural application of manure to crop land. An AFO is a lot or facility (other than an aquatic animal production facility) where the following conditions are met:
What is Agricultural Air Quality Conservation Measures Reference Guide for Poultry and Livestock Production Systems?
Agricultural Air Quality Conservation Measures Reference Guide for Poultry and Livestock Production Systems – This guide describes different conservation measures for poultry and livestock operations that have been successfully demonstrated to reduce emissions of various air pollutants on farms. In addition, it offers general comments on the applicability of the measures to different types of farms and ranges of potential emission reductions.
What is AADG in agriculture?
AADG is an informal and iterative group of animal agriculture stakeholders including representatives from the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA), all sectors of the animal feeding industry and their associations, academia, and states. The group convenes via conference calls and face-to-face meetings twice per year.
Which bill exempts the reporting of air emissions from animal waste at a farm?
Title XI of the Omnibus Bill , called the “Fair Agricultural Reporting Method Act” or “FARM Act” exempts the reporting of “air emissions from animal waste at a farm” under CERCLA. Top of Page.
What is the primary source of nitrogen and phosphorus in agriculture?
Estimated Animal Agriculture Nitrogen and Phosphorus from Manure – Animal agriculture manure is a primary source of nitrogen and phosphorus to surface and groundwater. Manure runoff from cropland and pastures or discharging animal feeding operations and concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) often reaches surface and groundwater systems through surface runoff or infiltration.
How much does livestock contribute to agriculture?
Livestock contributes to nearly 40 percent of total agricultural output in developed countries and 20 percent in developing ones, supporting the livelihoods of at least 1.3 billion people worldwide.
How much food does livestock consume?
Livestock consume annually about 6 billion tonnes of feed dry matter, about half being grass. Eighty-six percent of the global livestock feed intake is made of resources that are not edible by humans. Cereals represent about 13 percent of the intake, and about one third of global cereal production.
What is the role of FAO?
The Organization plays a policy advisory and awareness raising role and provides technical support, advocacy, information, knowledge and guidance to help produce high quality animal products, safely, efficiently and responsibly, while improving poor people’s livelihoods and meeting consumers’ needs. FAO also works alongside governments and farmers, responding during and after livestock emergencies and promotes dialogue amongst public, private and civil society partners whose ultimate goal is responsible and sustainable livestock production.
How can livestock feed be improved?
improving livestock feeding systems, for example through enlarging the feed resource base, increasing feed safety, promoting the use of novel feed sources and related technologies, and reducing food-feed competition;
How does FAO work?
FAO works to enhance livestock’s contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by supporting the transformation of animal production systems – small and large – in ways that are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.
What percentage of the world’s land is used for agriculture?
The following graphic outlines the breakdown of how global land area is used today: As the chart details, 71 percent of our land is considered habitable, and half of that land is used for agriculture. Of that 50 percent, 77 percent is used for livestock, either as land for grazing or land to grow animal feed.
How does animal agriculture affect the world?
Industrialized animal agriculture rules the world’s current food system and is responsible for widespread habitat destruction, including rainforests, harmful air and water pollution, the extinction of species (including those who have yet to even be scientifically identified by humans), and it contributes greatly to climate change, adding more harmful greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere than the entire transportation sector combined. And as this research has detailed, many crops are grown to feed livestock rather than feeding the world’s millions of starving people.
How much is clean meat worth in 2027?
The lab-cultured, aka “ clean meat ” industry, which will hopefully lessen the effects of industrialized animal agriculture, has been making rapid progress in recent years and is expected to reach a value of $20 million by 2027. Advertisement.
How many people will be in the world by 2050?
These factors have led innovators to seek alternatives and solutions to the problem of industrialized animal agriculture, a problem which will only intensify as our planet’s population continues to rise and is predicted to explode to 9.8 billion people by 2050. The lab-cultured, aka “ clean meat ” industry, which will hopefully lessen the effects of industrialized animal agriculture, has been making rapid progress in recent years and is expected to reach a value of $20 million by 2027.
Is animal agriculture using the world’s land?
Extensive research by Our World in Data shows us how the planet’s land is being used, and as one might expect, industrialized animal agriculture is inefficiently using the world’s land.
What percentage of farms are small family farms?
Small family farms (less than $350,000 in GCFI) accounted for 90 percent of all U.S. farms. Large-scale family farms ($1 million or more in GCFI) make up about 3 percent of farms but 44 percent of the value of production.
How many farms were there in 1935?
The number of U.S. farms continues to decline slowly. After peaking at 6.8 million farms in 1935, the number of U.S. farms fell sharply until the early 1970s. Rapidly falling farm numbers during the earlier period reflected growing productivity in agriculture and increased nonfarm employment opportunities.
What is net farm income?
Net farm income (NFI) reflects income after expenses from production in the current year and is calculated by subtracting farm expenses from gross farm income. NFI considers both cash and noncash income and expenses. Inflation-adjusted net farm income is forecast to increase by 15.3 percent in 2021 to $113.0 billion—the highest since 2013. Inflation-adjusted farm production expenses are projected to increase by 3.5 percent in 2021.
What is gross cash farm income?
Gross cash farm income (GCFI) includes income from commodity cash receipts, farm-related income, and Government payments. Family farms (where the majority of the business is owned by the operator and individuals related to the operator) of various types together accounted for nearly 98 percent of U.S. farms in 2019. Small family farms (less than $350,000 in GCFI) accounted for 90 percent of all U.S. farms. Large-scale family farms ($1 million or more in GCFI) make up about 3 percent of farms but 44 percent of the value of production.
How much will the farm income be in 2021?
Gross cash farm income is forecast at $451 billion in 2021, versus $341 billion (inflation-adjusted 2021 dollars) in 2001, with the increase across time largely because of higher cash receipts. If forecasts are realized, gross cash farm income would fall 1.8 percent in 2021, after increasing 4.6 percent in 2020.
How much cash is used for animals in 2020?
Cash receipts for animals and animal products totaled $165.0 billion in 2020. Cattle/calves receipts made up 38.2 percent of that total, dairy receipts accounted for 24.6 percent, and poultry and eggs receipts came in at 21.5 percent.
What was the impact of agriculture on the 20th century?
American agriculture and rural life underwent a tremendous transformation in the 20th century. Early 20th century agriculture was labor intensive, and it took place on many small, diversified farms in rural areas where more than half the U.S. population lived.
