The livestock sector is a major andgrowing source of pollution across the world as risingglobal demand for animal products including beef, pork,poultry, and dairy products is leading livestock operationsto not only expand their output, but also to concentratespatially, intensify, and separate from plant agriculture.Although livestock system outputs are growing faster thantheir spatial footprint—as managed grazing is giving way toconfined, grain-based feeding—this pattern of developmenthas major drawbacks and this note focuses on those relatedto animal wastes.1 In parts of both the developed anddeveloping world, animal wastes have become a leading sourceof surface and ground water pollution as they are a majorvector of unwanted nutrients, and alsocarry pathogens,antibiotics, hormones, heavy metals, other minerals, andpesticides. Through the release of particulate matter andother air pollutants, they are also a cause of foul odors,haze, acid rain, a loss of soil fertility, and airquality-related disease, while their potent greenhousegasemissions contribute to climate change.
PDF
download
878987797
028-85220240
