Zero food-feed competition: Difference between revisions
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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 | ||
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<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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|Global production of milk | |Global production of milk | ||
|Using data from 2019. Other years are almost the same. | |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 | {{dp | ||
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|Global production of beef (edible parts) | |Global production of beef (edible parts) | ||
|Using data from 2019. Other years are almost the same. | |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 | {{dp | ||
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|Global production of chicken meat (edible parts) | |Global production of chicken meat (edible parts) | ||
|Using data from 2019. Other years are almost the same. | |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 | {{dp | ||
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|Global production of eggs (from hens) (edible parts) | |Global production of eggs (from hens) (edible parts) | ||
|Using data from 2019. Other years are almost the same. | |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 | {{dp | ||
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|Global production of pig meat (edible parts) | |Global production of pig meat (edible parts) | ||
|Using data from 2019. Other years are almost the same. | |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 | {{dp |
Revision as of 07:46, 11 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.