1. Livestock and the environment: a paradigm shift

1.1 Controversial effects of livestock breeding and grazing on the environment

With the rise of environmentalist discourse at the end of the 20th century, livestock farming has been at the heart of various scientific controversies for several decades. Desertification, soil compaction, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and deforestation are just some of the environmental damage caused by livestock farming worldwide. However, the effects of livestock farming on the environment are complex and depend on factors such as the farming system and the animal species in question. It is therefore worth recalling the established scientific knowledge on the effects of livestock farming on the environment, while updating the necessary distinctions between the different types of livestock farming and...