We’re committed to protecting livelihoods, food security and environmental sustainability

The Importance of Livestock

1.3 billion people rely on the livestock industry for their livelihoods and their food and nutrition security¹.

Meat and dairy products are an important source of essential micronutrients, including iron, calcium, zinc, selenium and vitamin B12,² and, as the world’s population continues to grow, the demand for beef and dairy is predicted to increase³.

The need for emissions reduction is urgent

The livestock industry is the single biggest driver of methane emissions globally. It emits more methane per year than both the oil & gas industry and the coal industry.⁴ Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and air pollutant⁴ and has a much greater global warming effect than carbon dioxide. Over a 20-year period, methane traps 84 times more heat than carbon dioxide.⁵

“Cutting methane is the strongest lever we have to slow climate change over the next 25 years”.

Ingar Anderson, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme

“ZELP is committed to tackling methane emissions, whilst protecting animal welfare and ensuring the continued health and well-being of those who rely on the industry”.

Francisco Norris, CEO

References for this page

1 – “Moving Towards Sustainability: The Livestock Sector and the World Bank”. The World Bank. Accessed July 2023.
https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/agriculture/brief/moving-towards-sustainability-the-livestock-sector-and-the-world-bank

2 – “Meat, eggs and milk essential source of nutrients especially for most vulnerable groups, new FAO report says”. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2023. Accessed July 2023.
https://www.fao.org/newsroom/detail/meat-eggs-and-milk-essential-source-of-nutrients-new-fao-report-says-250423/en

3 – “Global meat consumption, World, 1961 to 2050”. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed July 2023.
https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/global-meat-projections-to-2050

4 -“Global Methane Assessment (Full Report)”. Ccacoalition. 2021. Accessed July 2023.
https://www.ccacoalition.org/resources/global-methane-assessment-full-report

5 – “Methane Emissions”. European Commission Energy. Accessed July 2023.
https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/oil-gas-and-coal/methane-emissions_en