A group of researchers from the United Nations's Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the Dutch Wageningen University reported that the livestock chain spreads 65 trillion grams of nitrogen to the nature each year. It was stated that this figure has already exceeded the planetary boundary.
According to the report titled 'Nitrogen emissions along global livestock supply chains' published in Nature Food, the vast majority of nitrogen emissions are caused by local animal production. The fact that emissions cause pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss was underlined. Referring to the impact of the current situation on international nitrogen challenges, the researchers stated that the livestock industry should take a global initiative against nitrogen pollution without ignoring food safety concerns. Underlining that the livestock supply chain is the cause of almost one-third of human-induced nitrogen emissions, experts pointed to the danger that the upper limit has been exceeded globally.
The 11-page report stated that global milk, meat and leather supply chains constitute 71 percent of the livestock-induced emissions. It was stated that the remaining 29 percent was caused by egg, poultry and pork production. In the relevant study, it was stated that cattle and buffalo supply chains constitute 44% of the total nitrogen emission and that the majority of this took place in South Asia.