How cows heat up the planet
Animal husbandry affects the ecology of the planet more strongly than other branches of agriculture. What should we do to stop agriculture from contributing to global warming?
Claims to cows
Ten thousand years ago, during the Early Neolithic period, humans domesticated cattle. Since then, cows and bulls have become faithful companions of man. However, in recent decades, developed countries have become increasingly skeptical about cattle, the number of which in the world has reached 1.5 billion heads. Blame global warming and Greta Thunberg personally.
First, cows are considered one of the main sources of greenhouse gases, along with transport and industry. Methane, which is actively released by cattle — is a much denser and" warming " gas compared to conventional CO2. The second claim is the destruction of forests for pastures and fields for growing forage crops. In fairness, this applies not only to cattle, but almost all agriculture, whether it is palm plantations or the cultivation of soybeans. In general, according to the UN Food Organization (FAO), all livestock production is responsible for 15% of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, of which about two-thirds is produced in the production of beef and meat.
Regulators in developed countries are beginning to think about introducing measures aimed at limiting meat consumption. For example, in February 2020, the European Parliament discussed the introduction of a tax on beef of 4.7 euros/kg, which, according to parliamentarians, will reduce its consumption in the EU by 67%, reduce the level of greenhouse gas emissions by 3% and reduce health care costs. It is also proposed to impose taxes on both pork and poultry, but in a smaller amount. It is unlikely that such an initiative can be adopted in its entirety in the foreseeable future. However, given the EU's long-term Green Deal plan, which aims to achieve full carbon neutrality by 2050, some measures aimed at radically reducing methane emissions are very likely to be taken.
Less cows, more milk
Businesses themselves are preparing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2019, the National Farmers ' Union of Great Britain announced its intention to bring the entire agricultural sector of the country to a carbon-neutral balance in 20 years. The Australian Beef and Lamb Producers Association MLA is set to meet this challenge by 2030.
In March 2019, Arla Foods, Europe's largest dairy producer, announced its plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% over the next 10 years and achieve a zero carbon footprint by 2050. Six months ago, Australian meat distributors Flinders + Co chose to specialize in trading carbon-neutral beef — a great way to differentiate marketing.
The following measures help reduce the carbon footprint of meat and milk production:
Improved performance. The cow needs (and already gives) more milk based on the same amount of methane.
Optimization of the animal diet.
Animal breeding — breeding new breeds that produce less methane. Work in this direction with the help of genetic engineering is already underway.
The purchase of carbon credits allows you to completely neutralize the carbon footprint — about the same as when buying tickets from many airlines. The company, after collecting a small additional fee from you, directs it to projects that reduce the content of co₂ in the world, such as planting forests.
Green meat and milk
Beef and milk producers should hurry up with the "greening" of their products in the eyes of consumers. Plant-based milk analogues have already captured tens of percent of the market in the United States and other countries. Rapid growth is also expected in the sector of plant-based meat analogues, primarily beef. Recently, the products of the newcomer Beyond Meat, which conducted a successful IPO in 2019, and traditional food giants like Nestle or Tyson have appeared on the market. The other day, Cargill also announced the launch of products made from vegetable "meat". One of the key marketing messages of producers of alternative milk and "meat" to consumers is to reduce damage to nature.
The demand for" green " products in Russia is obviously there, as is the general interest in more conscious consumption. Fashion is set by world celebrities, foreign and Russian-speaking bloggers, social networks, who continue to vividly discuss the fiery Greta Thunberg. It is too early to talk about the mass nature of this phenomenon: declining incomes do not allow most consumers to pay a noticeable premium for green products. But you should not underestimate the trend either: judging by the speed of distribution of Beyond Meat burgers in cafes and restaurants in major Russian cities in recent months, they have prospects.
In the market of vegetable milk, probably, the leader has already appeared — Nemoloko oatmeal, which a few years ago the producer of juices "Gardens of Pridonya "wisely decided to do. In the future, after Nemoloko, plant products of traditional dairy giants like Danone will also appear on the shelves of Russian stores.
The market for vegetable "meat" is still only in the formation stage. In addition to imported products, there are about a dozen domestic manufacturers, most of which do not look serious yet. The niche is still relatively empty, and in the near future, I think, we will see more than one attempt to occupy it. Russian meat and poultry producers will compete for market leadership, as well as, for example, one of the largest producers of vegetable fats — EFKO Group, which considers food tech projects for the production of vegetable alternatives to meat and milk very promising. Last fall, the company invested $ 50 million in the Fuel For Growth venture fund to implement its plans.
Data Source: UN Food Organization
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