Being a veterinarian I always engage in livestock and birds. Agriculture is a pillar of human existence and animal production is also included in it. Like plant resources, meat and dairy products are also essential for nutrition and health. But in this article I am going to share some important and interesting facts relating animal production and climate change effects.

Among many domestic animals in the world, cattle are a most rearing species that can be categorized as beef cattle and dairy cattle. Due to the presence of methanogenic microorganisms in the digestive system of cow, about 200 liters of methane gas is produced a day. According to the sources, within a year a adult cow produces 70-120 kg methane gas and to produce 1 kg beef, there is emission of gases equivalent to the effect of 36.4 kg of carbon dioxide with consumption of 169 MJ of energy with release of 340 gram SO2 and 59 gram of phosphate.

According to FAO, agriculture is responsible for about 18% of total release of greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide in the world. Talking about methane, it is a greenhouse gas like carbon dioxide but its negative effect in environment is 23 times more in potential to global warming.

In my point of view, we can reduce secretion of methane gases in various ways.

1. No food waste habit should be implied in our daily life. Food waste is also the waste of time and labor.

2. Generating new feeding pattern in cows. Grasses and feeds that emit relatively less methane can be the topic of research.

3. Consumption of meat and dairy products less and being vegetarian may be also helpful in some cases??? I think it is not a solution.

4. Change in agriculture production and livestock rearing technologies that helpsin low hamful gases secretion may be more useful.