With a contribution of 16.5% to global greenhouse gas emissions (1), animal agriculture is a key driver of climate change, second only to fossil fuels. Soy production—three-quarters of which is used as livestock feed (2)—and beef production are the top two drivers of deforestation in the Amazon (3). Livestock farming poses a risk to more than 17,900 species listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species (4). Because the environmental threats posed by animal agriculture can translate into a range of business risks for animal protein suppliers, environmentally responsible businesses are safer investments than those that cause harm (5). Therefore, businesses within the animal agriculture industry should measure and disclose their environmental impacts, and financial institutions should protect themselves from losses by investing in businesses that are good environmental stewards.
Published in: "Science".