Animal Agriculture Surpasses Oil as Largest Polluter in the World

A new report published by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) and non-profit GRAIN found that the world’s five top meat and dairy corporation (JBS, Tyson, Cargill, Fonterra, and Dairy Farmers of America) collectively produce more greenhouse gas emissions than the top three oil companies (ExxonMobil, BP, and Shell). “The indirect subsidies the industry receives through governments footing the bill for their air, water and land pollution, public health impacts from antibiotics overuse, and biodiversity loss can and must be stopped,” the report stated. Researchers quantified greenhouse gas emissions from 35 global meat and dairy companies—which, the report stated, often fail to report their own emissions—and found that the top 20 animal-agriculture companies emit more harmful gases than entire nations such as Germany, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. “The climate community’s attention has been focused on fossil fuel companies,” the report stated. “It is time we broadened our focus to include the meat and dairy majors.” IATP’s report studied the future plans of animal-agriculture companies and found that instead of implementing programs to curtail their damaging practices, the companies’ growth strategies will increase their emissions. “In the next ten years,” the report stated, “we must work together to build a just transition of our agricultural economy that helps restore rural communities and our soil, and sustain our planet.” The report predicted that if meat and dairy companies continue to engage in their destructive practices, the animal-agriculture sector will produce 80 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions budget—the maximum allowable emissions set forth by the Paris Climate Change Agreement—by 2050.