Part of the Environmental Solution

Thursday, February 19, 2026

Livestock sectors should be involved in discussions about environmental goals

By Emily McKinlay

Concerns for environmental sustainability are growing – both for consumers and producers. While plant-based initiatives continue to push consumers and local governments to reduce or eliminate animal products from diets in the name of sustainability, the livestock industry continues to make progress in reducing its environmental footprint. These successes should earn agriculture a place in discussions of environmental goals and how livestock can play a role in reaching them.

“We’ve seen a rise in municipalities looking at adopting resolutions regarding plant-based initiatives, which appear to be targeting food procurement that municipalities are involved in. That can include after-school programs, municipal-run facilities, or homeless shelters that municipalities often oversee,” says Thomas Brandstetter, manager of policy and issues for Beef Farmers of Ontario.

“I think a lot of these resolutions are being considered without any outreach to the livestock sectors, which is a bit of a concern given that there have been a lot of improvements when it comes to reducing our carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions. It would be great if agriculture had a seat at the table when those discussions are taking place at the municipal level.”

One aspect that Brandstetter says they’ve identified for improved communication with municipalities is clarifying the data that is being used by plant-based movements.

“When we look at the Cool Food Pledge or the Plant-Based Treaty or other plant-based initiatives, they are utilizing global greenhouse gas emission numbers. Canada prides itself on being quite sustainable, especially when we look at the best management practices being employed on-farm,” says Brandstetter.

“So, it isn’t really fair to be including us in the same emissions numbers from other parts of the world where livestock production might not be as sustainable. We wouldn’t use global numbers when looking at other issues being faced at a municipal, provincial or national level, so it’s only fair to use correct metrics or numbers when addressing these issues at the local level.”

How do these plant-based initiatives miss the mark on Canada’s livestock industry’s actual performance in terms of environmental impact?

Almost all Canadian livestock sectors have made efforts to monitor their greenhouse gas emissions, resource use, and environmental sustainability, and have used these numbers to set goals for continued improvement.

“Sustainability has always been part of Canadian dairy farmers’ practices. It is embedded in how they operate as they care for their land and protect it for generations to come,” says Fawn Jackson, chief research and sustainable production officer for Dairy Farmers of Canada.

“This future focus has driven meaningful environmental improvements as we endeavour to work towards net zero. Canadian dairy farmers are stewards of the land, and the protection of the environment is something that is at the heart of our industry.”

ProAction, the Canadian dairy industry’s quality assurance program, promotes the implementation of best management practices and ongoing improvements through its Environment module. The module covers wastewater management, manure management, soil health, biodiversity, and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Canadian dairy industry’s sustainability is also underestimated when global data is used.

“Canadian milk production has one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world, at less than half the global average,” says Jackson.

“Dairy Farmers of Canada performs a regular life cycle assessment of the on-farm footprint of Canadian milk production. Over the past 10 years, the footprint of each litre of milk produced on-farm was reduced nine per cent, while land use went down by 21 per cent, which is largely attributed to producing more feed on each acre of land and increased feed efficiency.”

Chicken Farmers of Canada has also invested in life cycle assessments of their industry. The first life cycle assessment was completed in 2018 using 2016 data, and a second assessment was released in 2025 using 2023 data.

The assessments, conducted by the consulting firm Groupe AGÉCO, found improvements in carbon footprint, feed production, and feed conversion.

“We found that the carbon footprint for chicken production was reduced by six per cent from 2018 to 2023,” says Yves Ruel, associate executive director at Chicken Farmers of Canada.

“We were pleased with that result. We also saw a 10 per cent reduction due to changes in feed. Feed makes up a big component in our life cycle assessments, which goes through the whole cycle from feed production to chicken farming to chicken processing. We saw a six per cent improvement in feed conversion, largely due to better-quality chicks and better growing conditions, which means there is less feed required and less impact from feed production to grow chickens. All that contributes to better performance.”

The Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef published the National Beef Sustainability Assessment in 2024 which assessed sustainability performance throughout the beef value chain. The findings demonstrated that Canada’s beef industry has also taken positive steps to improve its environmental footprint.

“Canadian beef, overall, generates 52 per cent fewer emissions than the global average,” says Brandstetter.

“From 2014 to 2021, a kilogram of beef produced was done so with 15 per cent less greenhouse gas emissions, which puts us on track for reducing emission intensity by 33 per cent by 2030.”

The assessment of current performance in environmental sustainability has also laid the groundwork for the sectors of the Canadian livestock industry to set future goals and develop strategies to achieve them.

For the beef industry, Brandstetter says this includes promoting and implementing best management practices and quality assurance programs, as well as assessing feed efficiency throughout the production chain.

“All of these play a part in reducing our carbon footprint, and we continue to promote them with our members, whether through workshops, webinars, or a number of different tours that take place throughout the year,” says Brandstetter.

“There is a lot that we can do to reduce our greenhouse gas footprint, like promoting public transit, buying fewer products, and reducing water usage. When we look at farmers in Canada, there are a lot of positive, responsible, and sustainable things they have been doing to feed the province or the country.”

The promotion of best management practices and continuous improvement throughout the livestock industry also creates opportunity to make livestock a greater part of the solution for environmental concerns.

In the beef industry, redirection of by-products to animal feed, carbon sequestration in pasture and grasslands, and habitat maintenance for wildlife are just a few ways that cattle positively impact the environment.

Many chicken producers are looking at how technology can improve their efficiency and reduce their environmental footprint.

“We did a survey with 250 farmers across Canada to have a representative sample and asked, ‘What have you done so far and what are you planning to do?’ Farmers are looking at improving ventilation, insulation, and lighting systems in their barns, and are introducing more smart technology,” says Ruel.

“Barns are becoming better and better. For us, it’s very important that farmers are aware of their performance. They have to keep environmental performance in mind, because consumers are considering this when making purchasing decisions. We want to remain a protein with a good environmental footprint, that is suitable for consumers who are thinking about the environment.”

Ruel adds, “Farmers have done well at improving their environmental footprint, and we want to encourage them to continue in that.”

The dairy industry is also encouraging its producers to consider their environmental footprint on the individual farm scale. Dairy Farmers of Canada recently piloted the Cool Farm Tool on a sample of dairy farms across the country, allowing these farms to use their operation data to generate a report of farm-specific carbon footprint. The report also highlighted potential areas for improvement.

At an industry-wide level, they also plan for continuous improvement with regular life cycle assessments, development of farm and national-level reporting strategies, incentivizing sustainable practices, and supporting sustainability research.

When plant-based initiatives use non-local data to encourage commitments to eliminate livestock products, they inaccurately portray the importance of environmental sustainability to Canada’s livestock industry. As producer awareness and implementation of best management practices continue to grow, livestock farmers have a role to play in the continued progress made towards environmental goals – both in agriculture and in their local community.

“We hope to collaborate a lot more with municipalities. When we are collaborating together, we can reach environmental targets through industry advancements, like the creation or expansion of community pastures, and share the role that beef cattle can play in achieving those goals and targets,” says Brandstetter.

“It’s important for our members continue to be engaged with their municipalities and get to know their councillors and local ag advisory committees. This can increase the awareness of the positive steps that our sector has been undertaking to ensure that our practices are sustainable.” BF

Key Takeaways

• Municipal ‘plant-based’ resolutions often rely on global emissions data, overlooking Canada’s comparatively strong livestock sustainability performance.
• Life cycle assessments show Canadian dairy, chicken and beef producers have significantly reduced emission intensity, supported by best management practices, technology and quality assurance programs.
• Livestock groups argue cattle, poultry and dairy can be part of the environmental solution through by‑product use, carbon sequestration, habitat benefits and closer collaboration with municipalities on climate goals. BF