The Environmental
of Livestock
Footprint
What kind of supplies do you need to bake cookies?
What else?
What do farmers need to produce our food?
Brainstorm...
Do you think some foods require more natural resources to produce than others?
Live stock
domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce meat, milk, and eggs or provide labor.
Cattle (Beef)
Cattle (Dairy)
Pigs
Sheep
Goats
Turkeys
Chickens
Click on and watch the Virtual Field Trip
Watch for underlined words. Click on the link.
Discover:
1- What is the production cycle of each livestock species?
2- What products do they contribute to our society?
3- What natural resources are required in the farm-to-fork process?
Follow-Up Questions
Why did the EPA create the term and parameters for CAFOs?
The EPA regulates the discharge of pollutants from point sources.
Farms that meet the definition parameters of a CAFO have potential to pollute waterways.
Follow-Up Questions
What is the primary byproduct of livestock that can pollute water sources?
Manure and wastewater can contribute nitrogen, phosphorus, organic matter, sediments, pathogens, hormones, and antibiotics to the environment.
Follow-Up Questions
How does the density of animals in a given space correlate to the risk of damaging or polluting natural resources?
A higher concentration of animals means a higher concentration of manure. Manure in excess is a pollutant.
Do you think some foods require more natural resources to produce than others?
Livestock Flow Chart
Land to house livestock
Natural Resource Use:
Environmental Impact:
Water to grow feed crops
Methane emissions from ruminants
Land to house livestock
Land to grow feed crops
Fossil fuels to transport feed
Carbon emissions from tilling soil
Waste to manage
Livestock Flow Chart
Water for cooking, cleaning, processing
Natural Resource Use:
Environmental Impact:
Emissions from transportation
Energy such as electric, natural gas, and fuel
Generation of waste from food processing or packaging
Livestock Flow Chart
... all to provide these foods to our diet and byproducts for our everyday use.
Plant-Source Foods
Land Use
Nutrient Depletion
Land Conversion
Water Use
Eutrophication
Fuel
Fertilizer
Pesticides
Energy
Food Miles
Waste Production
Animal-Source Foods
Land Use
Nutrient Depletion
Land Conversion
Impacts to grow feed for livestock
Impacts to raise the livestock
Land Use
Water Use
Eutrophication
GHG Emissions
Fuel
Fertilizer
Pesticides
Manure
Management
Energy
Feed Shipping
Waste Production
Energy
Food Miles
Waste Production
Plant-Source Foods
Land Use
Nutrient Depletion
Land Conversion
Water Use
Eutrophication
Fuel
Fertilizer
Pesticides
Energy
Food Miles
Waste Production
Animal-Source Foods
Land Use
Nutrient Depletion
Land Conversion
Impacts to grow feed for livestock
Impacts to raise the livestock
Land Use
Water Use
Eutrophication
GHG Emissions
Fuel
Fertilizer
Pesticides
Manure
Management
Energy
Feed Shipping
Waste Production
Energy
Food Miles
Waste Production
On the Flip Side
Step 1:
There are five “flip side” cards. These introduce two perspectives on the same issue. Review all of the cards.
Step 2:
Choose a perspective for each card that you most agree with. Place that perspective face up on the table.
Step 3:
Review the “Consider This” cards.
Goal: Recognize the complexity of the environmental issue of livestock and the environment.
Opportunity Cost
A concept in economics that quantifies the impact of selecting one option instead of another.
Regular or premium gas?
Name-brand or
store-brand shoes
A resort vacation or a local stay-cation
How can the concept of an opportunity cost be related to our food and the environment?
Opportunity Cost
What do you believe is the best way forward to balance the cultural, nutritional, and economic needs of our society with the environmental impact of livestock?
Write a conclusion and action statement: