Adverse Effects of Animal Production on Environment and Public Health

The environment is harmed by industrial agriculture as it pollutes the air, land, and water. Nitrous oxide emissions from animal husbandry account for 65% of worldwide emissions and have a 296 times larger global warming impact than carbon dioxide. More greenhouse gas emissions are produced by raising animals for human consumption nearly 15% of the total than by all modes of transportation combined. Erosion and soil health degradation are results of conventional crop farming. Additionally, it occupies roughly 70% of agricultural land and is a major contributor to deforestation, biodiversity loss and water pollution. The greatest threat to human health in the twenty-first century has been dubbed climate change, which by itself increases the probability of extreme weather events including floods, droughts, and heatwaves. Some of the topics covered in this text include development in animal production and its impacts on the environment, antimicrobial resistance linked to animal production, contamination of soil and water with various pathogens linked to animal production, threats to public health, risks and sources of contamination, and interventions used to control pathogens on farm.