Greenhouse Footprint on animals

 

Emission intensity of some common foods expressed as kilograms of carbon dioxide-equivalent (C02-e) released into the atmosphere for each kilogram of production.

 

For foods that produce copious amounts of methane, the 20-year figures are substantially higher than over a 100-year time frame (Australian Greenhouse Office)

 

Food

kg CO2-e/kg

(20 years)

kg CO2-e/kg

(100 years)

Scientific America

Feb 2009 – kg/year

Beef

111.1

55.5

14.50

Sheep meat and wool

96.3

32.7

 

Pig meat

10.5

3.5

3.8

Rice

2.4

0.74

 

Poultry

1.3

0.38

1.1

Wheat

0.35

0.32

 

Potatoes

 

 

0.26

Apples

 

 

0.3

Asparagus

 

 

0.52

 

The Scientific American paper tried to also include transport costs.  Note the differences in the studies – this article would rate pigs at 76 over the 20 year period and cattle only at 290kg.

 

Also see publication on livestock environmental impacts:

http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/a0701e/a0701e00.htm