The role of animal agriculture in the climate and ecological crisis
- The IPCC Climate Change and Land Report of 2019 estimated that humankind is using 37% of the ice-free land area of the planet for grazing farmed animals.
- The global food system is estimated to contribute around one third of global emissions. Estimates vary, but the UN Environment Program cites a range of studies that attribute 11% to 23% to animal agriculture.
- We have eliminated half the trees on the planet: roughly 3 trillion trees.
- Forests store 90% of the land carbon: these remaining 3 trillion trees and the soils that they live on store more than twice as much carbon as in the entire atmosphere.
- Here in Australia, we are the only developed country on the list of global deforestation fronts, largely owing to continued land clearing in the Eastern states especially Queensland, hosting 44% of the nation’s cattle.
- Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) data from 2014-2019 and from 2018-2022 shows that 93% of all deforestation and land clearing in Queensland was for grazing, mostly cattle. Likely a significant underestimate.
- Forests function as massive carbon sinks. We cannot afford to lose what remaining capacity we have to sequester carbon from the atmosphere.
- The preservation of forests is also critical for protecting our native wildlife. Australia is home to over 10% of global biodiversity, yet we have one of the highest extinction rates in the world, positioning us second after Indonesia in a group of seven nations responsible for more than 50% of global biodiversity loss.
Australia has lost half of its forests since colonisation. In parts of Queensland, more than 80% of original forest and bushland has been cleared – particularly in biodiversity-rich areas like the Brigalow Belt. Over the four-year period from 2018 to 2022:
- Total clearing was 1,713,005 hectares according to SLATS
- Pasture clearing (Beef, Sheep, Other, and Dairy) accounted for 1,606,345 hectares, which is approximately 93.77% of the total clearing.
- Forestry and other non-pasture activities (Crop, Mine, Infrastructure, and Settlement) accounted for 106,729 hectares, which is approximately 6.23% of the total clearing.
(From the SLATS data in the Wilderness Society's Drivers of Deforestation Report, 2025: p11)
99% of beef-linked destruction occurred in mapped threatened species habitat.
- This is the potential habitat for at least 270 threatened species
- Koalas lost more than 571,000 hectares of potential habitat to beef pastures
- Potential homes for the northern quoll, regent honeyeater, and greater glider were on the chopping block
ACF, July 2024: New Queensland data reveals a shameful increase in destruction of the state’s most valuable forest and woodland. While overall clearing was down 7% from the previous year, the destruction of remnant forest and woodland (i.e. patches left after initial clearing) has increased. The Australian Conservation Foundation has called out beef production as the main culprit for nature destruction in the state.
The figures show:
- In 2022, in Queensland, 323,676 hectares was cleared (that’s the equivalent of 2,352 Brisbane CBDs, or 6.4 a day).
- 88% of this clearing was for pasture (sheep and cattle), 5% for forestry, 2% for mining and less than 1% each for infrastructure and housing
- 65,776 hectares was remnant vegetation (this is a 22% increase on last year)
- the bush is being bulldozed 10x faster than new forests can even start to regrow
- 44% of the clearing was in the Great Barrier Reef catchment