Biodiversity and Livestock Farming

This article discusses the impact of livestock farming on biodiversity and the environment. It explores the destruction caused by grazing and farming, the loss of species, and the greenhouse gas emissions. The article also suggests sustainable food production methods, such as genetically modified livestock and insect farming, as potential solutions to mitigate the negative effects of livestock farming.

Biodiversity | 1
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is very important for a sustainable environment on this planet. Livestock
farming is destroying the balance of our planet. Livestock means animals those are domesticated
and raised in an agricultural setting. The byproducts such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and
wool are produced by these animals. According to a study it has been found that biodiversity loss
causes Soil degradation, water loss, acid rain, coral reef degradation and deforestation. This is
mainly due to grazing and farming. More than 70 million animals are farmed and reared every
year. More than 6 million animals are killed for food industry every hour. Both this activity
impacts the environment. This industry has led to destruction at noticeable level making many
sea species extinct.
Animal agriculture produces 18 percent of greenhouse gas. This accounts for 51% of the
green house effect. It is sad that people are not able to realize how destructible this is for global
climate. The livestock farming produces more than 65% of Nitrous Oxide emissions (a
greenhouse gas) more harmful than carbon di oxide. A huge amount of rainforest is cleared every
second for grazing livestock. Up to 137 plants, animal and insect species are lost due to this
destruction. Affecting biodiversity of our planet. It has been estimated that more than 91% of the
deforestation is caused by the livestock grazing. Only 5% of the water is used for domestic
purpose and 55% is for animal agriculture. For example a dairy cow drinks 30 gallon of water in
a day.
Fishery is also a kind of livestock farming. Research shows marine biodiversity loss is
increasing damaging the ocean’s capacity to provide food, water quality, and regulate climate.
Over 70 % of the world’s fish species are exploited or depleted to extinction (ScienceDaily,
2019).
A solution to this problem is very essential and according to the author Natalie Rubio
everyone should focus on more sustainable food production methods. A genetically modified
livestock can be a method but the chances for improvement in destruction is very low. Or else
people may choose to be vegetarian that may save the earth. Other solution that can be suggested

is insect farming. Insects have a good amount of protein, amino acid and fat in them. They can
fulfill our requirement for meat and milk. This will require less water and space as well.
Science can be used to produce genetically modified insects that may cost less than a
genetically manufacture mammalian. A cultured insect cell will have lower glucose requirement
and can thrive in any temperature, pH and oxygen level. Low cost will push the production level
even further and the product can be produced on large scale sufficient for a huge population.
This may help save the degradation cause due to live stock farming. An efficient method used is
ontogenetic engineering the cells are contracted in response by introducing a new gene. The
advanced cell culture can also be tried on lobster, crab and shrimp. This change may lead to a
better sustainable environment (ScienceDaily, 2019).
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Reference:
ScienceDaily (2019). Edible insects? Lab-grown meat? The real future food is lab-grown insect
meat. ScienceDaily. Available at:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190530101136.htm [Accessed 10 Jun.
2019].