Greenhouse gas emissions from livestock: Sources, estimation, and mitigation

The increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has resulted in climate change and global warming. Human activities in many sectors, including agriculture, contribute to approximately 9.71% of total global GHG emissions. Recently, the issue of livestock being the highest contributor to GHG emissions has been related to the importance of the industry in terms of food security and livelihoods. The most commonly used methods for calculating GHG emissions from the livestock sector are life cycle assessment (LCA) and the GHG inventory. Although the LCA presents information on the impacts of the livestock industry on the environment, the GHG inventory is the main tool used internationally for GHG reporting. This paper discusses how GHG emissions are emitted, how GHG emissions are estimated, and the current mitigation options for reducing GHG emissions from the livestock sector.