Nutrient provision capacity of alternative livestock farming systems per area of arable farmland required

Abstract Although climate impacts of ruminant agriculture are a major concern worldwide, using policy instruments to force grazing farms out the livestock industry may diminish opportunities produce nutritious food without exacerbating food-feed competition for fertile and accessible land resources. Here, we present new set quantitative evidence demonstrate that, per unit overall nutrient value supplied by given commodity, demand suitable human-edible crop production is considerably smaller under systems than monogastric systems, consistently so at both farm regional scales. We also that imposition naïvely designed “red meat tax” has potential invite socioeconomic losses far greater its environmental benefits, due largely induced misallocation resources national scale. Our results reiterate risk inherent in an excessively climate-focused debate on role human society call more multidimensional approaches sustainability assessment draw better-balanced packages.