Eating Oil and Water : The Farm Stage

Intensive animal rearing plays a major role in the impact food has on climate change and also accounts for massive water usage. It has been estimated that the agriculture sector alone accounts for about 26% of Ireland’s total greenhouse gas emissions.[1] Beef is a particular challenge to climate change, because of the energy used in its farming, and the methane that cattle release into the atmosphere, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide.

Equally worrying is the finding that agriculture accounts for the largest human use of water.[2] Not only is water scarcity a global epidemic that needs immediate attention, water taken obtained from Irish rivers, lakes and aquifers have repercussions on local communities and functions. The meat and dairy industry uses more water than fruits, vegetables and grains. In the total system, it is estimated that 500-4,000 litres of water are evaporated when producing one Kg of wheat while it takes 5,000 to 20,000 litres of water to produce one Kg of meat, all things consistent such as climate, agriculture practices, seasonal variety etc.[3]

Water is used in huge quantities to feed and hydrate livestock. The majority of water used at the farm stage goes into growing the seed need to make up the cereal fed to the livestock. Water is a problem in irrigated systems where huge amounts of energy go into pumping, sourcing and dispersing irrigated water sources. Fuel is also used heavily to power the tractors and machinery. Cattle, as compared to pigs and chickens, consume the most soy-meal feed, often derived from cleared South American rainforests, another way the industry weighs heavily on the environment.

[1] Environmental Impact of Products (EIPRO): Analysis of the lifecycle environmental impacts related to the final consumption of theEUhttp://ec.europa.eu/environment/ipp/pdf/eipro_report.pdf[2] Saving Water: from Field to Fork Curbing losses and Wastage in the Food Chain International Water Management Institute 2008[3 Falkenmark and Rockstramen, 2004, Report pg 11 ,