Zero food-feed competition: Difference between revisions
(Created page with "Cows, goats and sheep can digest fibre and use it as calories. These animals can thus eat a few things that don't compete with food production: # Crop residues (also known as biomass waste) which are the fibrous leftover parts of food crops we have to grow anyway. # Grass from pasture lands. This feed can't be eaten by humans, chickens, or pigs. {{x|Except in very small quantities for roughage only. Humans, chickens and pigs can't extract any s...") |
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The big question is: How much animal protein could be produced if these were the '''only''' sources of animal feed? | The big question is: How much animal protein could be produced if these were the '''only''' sources of animal feed? | ||
====A simple estimate:==== | |||
{{dp | {{dp | ||
|pasture | |pasture | ||
Line 42: | Line 43: | ||
<br />The number is mentioned in the Abstract: https://www.tabledebates.org/research-library/livestock-our-plates-or-eating-our-table | <br />The number is mentioned in the Abstract: https://www.tabledebates.org/research-library/livestock-our-plates-or-eating-our-table | ||
}} | }} | ||
{{dp | {{dp | ||
|world.population | |world.population | ||
|7.9 billion | |7.9 billion | ||
}} | }} | ||
{{calc | {{calc | ||
|(pasture + residues) / conversion_ratio | |(pasture + residues) / conversion_ratio | ||
|(grams/day per capita)(world.population) | |(grams/day per capita)(world.population) | ||
}} | }} | ||
^ Total amount of protein from both meat and dairy, combined. {{x|This is probably a slight overestimate, because some sources say that feed efficiency ratios are lower when the cows are fed less human-edible grains.}} | ^ Total amount of protein from both meat and dairy, combined. {{x|This is probably a slight overestimate, because some sources say that feed efficiency ratios are lower when the cows are fed less human-edible grains.}} {{x|Research needed on this page: How do the feed-efficiency ratios of cows compare to other ruminants such as goats, sheep, and buffalo?}} | ||
There would be no animal protein from chickens, pigs, or any other non-ruminant animals. | There would be no animal protein from chickens, pigs, or any other non-ruminant animals. | ||
Also, there would be even less animal protein available if we [[rewilding|rewilded]] some crop land {{x|since we don't have to grow as many crops if we aren't raising chickens, pigs, etc. There would be less crop residue available for ruminants, so we'd have to raise fewer of them.}} or some pasture land {{x|either allowing it to become forest, or allowing it to become wilder grasslands which are less optimized for feeding cows etc. Both types of rewilding are beneficial in that they sequester more carbon than conventional pasture.}}. | Also, there would be even less animal protein available if we [[rewilding|rewilded]] some crop land {{x|since we don't have to grow as many crops if we aren't raising chickens, pigs, etc. There would be less crop residue available for ruminants, so we'd have to raise fewer of them.}} or some pasture land {{x|either allowing it to become forest, or allowing it to become wilder grasslands which are less optimized for feeding cows etc. Both types of rewilding are beneficial in that they sequester more carbon than conventional pasture.}}. | ||
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|708264265 tonnes/year | |708264265 tonnes/year | ||
|Global production of milk | |Global production of milk | ||
|Using data from 2019. Other years are almost the same.<br /> | |Using data from 2019. Other years are almost the same. | ||
Source: <cite>Crop and livestock products - FAOSTAT</cite>Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [https://www.fao.org/faostat] | <br />Source: <cite>Crop and livestock products - FAOSTAT</cite><br />Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [https://www.fao.org/faostat] | ||
}} | }} | ||
{{dp | {{dp | ||
|beef.production | |beef.production | ||
|67915624 tonnes/year | |67915624 tonnes/year | ||
|Global production of beef | |Global production of beef (edible parts) | ||
|Using data from 2019. Other years are almost the same.<br /> | |Using data from 2019. Other years are almost the same. | ||
Source: <cite>Crop and livestock products - FAOSTAT</cite>Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [https://www.fao.org/faostat] | <br />Source: <cite>Crop and livestock products - FAOSTAT</cite><br />Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [https://www.fao.org/faostat] | ||
}} | }} | ||
{{dp | {{dp | ||
Line 85: | Line 86: | ||
|beef.protein | |beef.protein | ||
|19.42% | |19.42% | ||
|Protein as a fraction of beef, by weight. | |Protein as a fraction of beef (edible portion), by weight. | ||
|Source: <cite>FoodData</cite>US Department of Agriculture | |Source: <cite>FoodData</cite>US Department of Agriculture | ||
<br /><br />Using database food named "Beef, grass-fed, ground, raw" because (even though not all beef is grassfed) it was the only database entry that wasn't a specific cut of beef. | <br /><br />Using database food named "Beef, grass-fed, ground, raw" because (even though not all beef is grassfed) it was the only database entry that wasn't a specific cut of beef. | ||
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|(grams/day per capita)(world.population) | |(grams/day per capita)(world.population) | ||
}} | }} | ||
< | |||
Protein from chickens: | |||
{{dp | |||
|chicken.production | |||
|118616699 tonnes/year | |||
|Global production of chicken meat (edible parts) | |||
|Using data from 2019. Other years are almost the same. | |||
<br />Source: <cite>Crop and livestock products - FAOSTAT</cite><br />Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [https://www.fao.org/faostat] | |||
}} | |||
{{dp | |||
|eggs.production | |||
|84363316 tonnes/year | |||
|Global production of eggs (from hens) (edible parts) | |||
|Using data from 2019. Other years are almost the same. | |||
<br />Source: <cite>Crop and livestock products - FAOSTAT</cite><br />Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [https://www.fao.org/faostat] | |||
}} | |||
{{dp | |||
|chicken.protein | |||
|18.33% | |||
|Protein as a fraction of chicken (edible portion), by weight. | |||
|Source: <cite>FoodData</cite>US Department of Agriculture | |||
<br /><br />Using database food named "Chicken, broilers or fryers, meat and skin and giblets and neck, raw" | |||
}} | |||
{{dp | |||
|eggs.protein | |||
|12.56% | |||
|Protein as a fraction of eggs (edible portion), by weight. | |||
|Source: <cite>FoodData</cite>US Department of Agriculture | |||
<br /><br />Using database food named "Egg, whole, raw, fresh" | |||
}} | |||
{{calc | |||
|eggs.production*eggs.protein + chicken.production*chicken.protein | |||
|(grams/day per capita)(world.population) | |||
}} | |||
Protein from pigs: | |||
{{dp | |||
|pork.production | |||
|109635731 tonnes/year | |||
|Global production of pig meat (edible parts) | |||
|Using data from 2019. Other years are almost the same. | |||
<br />Source: <cite>Crop and livestock products - FAOSTAT</cite><br />Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [https://www.fao.org/faostat] | |||
}} | |||
{{dp | |||
|pork.protein | |||
|16.88% | |||
|Protein as a fraction of pork (edible portion), by weight. | |||
|Source: <cite>FoodData</cite>US Department of Agriculture | |||
<br /><br />Using database food named "Pork, fresh, ground, raw" | |||
}} | |||
{{calc | |||
|pork.production*pork.protein | |||
|(grams/day per capita)(world.population) | |||
}} | |||
<!-- TODO: | |||
add info on protein from sheep, goats, and buffalo | |||
* would help compare the "total protein from all ruminants - status quo" with the "total protein from ruminants if no food-feed competition (which is currently estimated with just cow data but still)" | |||
* put it in an expandable because it's not crucial to the main point but is needed for the above reason and for completeness | |||
--> | |||
In other words, globally most cows are ''already'' fed mostly non-human-edible matter, but beef and dairy production are fairly low. | In other words, globally most cows are ''already'' fed mostly non-human-edible matter, but beef and dairy production are fairly low. | ||
<!-- TODO: | Chicken and pig consumption is moderate, but even this level requires [[:File:food-funnel.png|36% of human-edible calories to be fed to animals]]. | ||
<!-- Just think how much higher this would be if the whole world ate as much animal protein as the average "first world" citizen. --> | |||
<!-- TODO: uncomment the above line after adding data about how much animal protein is eaten in particular countries. | |||
There are a few ways it could be presented: | |||
* isochromic world map: population, animal protein consumption, crop land, pasture land. But since we can't fit 4 things perfectly, we have to decide how to compromise. | |||
* Add code to [[Code:food2.sql]] to calculate "total protein from ruminants" and "total protein from other animals", globally and also by region. | |||
** If we don't want to list too many regions, could just do a general 'OECD aggregate'. Not sure how practical this is with the input data tho. | |||
** If we're already using [[Code:food2.sql]], might as well also have it replace the inline calculations for status quo. | |||
*** Although isn't it nicer to have specific stats for cows, chickens, pigs? | |||
**** How about just write "total protein from ruminants (cows, sheep, goats, buffalo)" and "total protein from non-ruminants (chickens, pigs, etc)"? | |||
Should there also be some mention of [[fish]]? Should we just declare that it's (currently?) not in the scope of the analysis? | |||
--> | |||
<!-- btw, should we fit this in somewhere: | |||
: how do some countries manage to eat more beef/dairy: | |||
: * either by already having a lot of pasture land (i.e. australia) | |||
: * or by destroying wildlife to make new pasture (i.e. brazil) | |||
: * or by growing enormous amounts of corn and soy, which could have been fed to humans instead (i.e. usa and also brazil) | |||
--> | --> |
Latest revision as of 06:41, 12 November 2022
Cows, goats and sheep can digest fibre and use it as calories.
These animals can thus eat a few things that don't compete with food production:
- Crop residues (also known as biomass waste) which are the fibrous leftover parts of food crops we have to grow anyway.
- Grass from pasture lands.
This feed can't be eaten by humans, chickens, or pigs.
The big question is: How much animal protein could be produced if these were the only sources of animal feed?
A simple estimate:
Breewood, H. & Garnett, T. (2020). What is feed-food competition? (Foodsource: building blocks). Food Climate Research Network, University of Oxford.
Page 10
References primary source:
Mottet, A., de Haan, C., Falcucci, A., Tempio, G., Opio, C., & Gerber, P. (2017). Livestock: On our plates or eating at our table? A new analysis of the feed/food debate. Global Food Security.
Source:
Breewood, H. & Garnett, T. (2020). What is feed-food competition? (Foodsource: building blocks). Food Climate Research Network, University of Oxford.
Page 10
References primary source:
Mottet, A., de Haan, C., Falcucci, A., Tempio, G., Opio, C., & Gerber, P. (2017). Livestock: On our plates or eating at our table? A new analysis of the feed/food debate. Global Food Security.
Source:
Mottet, A., de Haan, C., Falcucci, A., Tempio, G., Opio, C., & Gerber, P. (2017). Livestock: On our plates or eating at our table? A new analysis of the feed/food debate. Global Food Security.
The number is mentioned in the Abstract: https://www.tabledebates.org/research-library/livestock-our-plates-or-eating-our-table
^ Total amount of protein from both meat and dairy, combined. (calculation loading)
There would be no animal protein from chickens, pigs, or any other non-ruminant animals.
Also, there would be even less animal protein available if we rewilded some crop land
For comparison, status quo:
Protein from cows:
Source: Crop and livestock products - FAOSTAT
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [1]
Source: Crop and livestock products - FAOSTAT
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [2]
Using database food named "Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, without added vitamin A and vitamin D"
Using database food named "Beef, grass-fed, ground, raw" because (even though not all beef is grassfed) it was the only database entry that wasn't a specific cut of beef.
(calculation loading)
Protein from chickens:
Source: Crop and livestock products - FAOSTAT
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [3]
Source: Crop and livestock products - FAOSTAT
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [4]
Using database food named "Chicken, broilers or fryers, meat and skin and giblets and neck, raw"
Using database food named "Egg, whole, raw, fresh"
(calculation loading)
Protein from pigs:
Source: Crop and livestock products - FAOSTAT
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [5]
Using database food named "Pork, fresh, ground, raw"
(calculation loading)
In other words, globally most cows are already fed mostly non-human-edible matter, but beef and dairy production are fairly low.
Chicken and pig consumption is moderate, but even this level requires 36% of human-edible calories to be fed to animals.