ROME (AP) — A U.N. report says improved livestock breeding and feeding practices could trim greenhouse gas emissions in the industry by up to 30 percent.
Livestock emissions account for 14.5 percent of all man-made heat-trapping gases. Of that, cattle production for milk and meat is the worst offender, representing 65 percent of all livestock emissions.
The Rome-based U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said in a report Thursday that breeding techniques that make more productive animals can reduce the size of herds, reducing the livestock's carbon footprint.
Another way to cut: improve feeding techniques to cut down on methane gasses generated during digestion.
FAO's Ren Wang, in charge of agriculture and consumer protection, said the cuts are do-able and important because demand for meat and poultry is growing in the developing world.