<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Livestock farming is considered one relevant cause of global warming. The aim of this article is to show that the environmental footprint of broilers and laying hens is small among farmed animal species. Author examines the increase in the production of broilers and laying hens over the past decades as a result of genetic selection, and as a consequence their greenhouse gas emissions, land, water and energy use have decreased. It was evidenced that with the increase of production the environmental footprint per unit of product decreases. On the other hand, in alternative housing systems, especially in free-range and organic production, all indicators deteriorate. Supplying the Earth’s ever-growing population with a sufficient amount of high-quality food of animal origin, in such a way that the environmental footprint of poultry farming is reduced, can be achieved with intensive production taking into account animal welfare. New tools and methods such as genomic selection, gene editing or precision poultry breeding will help in this.</p>
</abstract>

Livestock farming is considered one relevant cause of global warming. The aim of this article is to show that the environmental footprint of broilers and laying hens is small among farmed animal species. Author examines the increase in the production of broilers and laying hens over the past decades as a result of genetic selection, and as a consequence their greenhouse gas emissions, land, water and energy use have decreased. It was evidenced that with the increase of production the environmental footprint per unit of product decreases. On the other hand, in alternative housing systems, especially in free-range and organic production, all indicators deteriorate. Supplying the Earth’s ever-growing population with a sufficient amount of high-quality food of animal origin, in such a way that the environmental footprint of poultry farming is reduced, can be achieved with intensive production taking into account animal welfare. New tools and methods such as genomic selection, gene editing or precision poultry breeding will help in this.

Poultry Farming Does not Play a Significant Role in Global Warming – a Review

Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Annals of Animal Science

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Livestock farming is considered one relevant cause of global warming. The aim of this article is to show that the environmental footprint of broilers and...

Poultry Farming Does not Play a Significant Role in Global Warming – a Review

Published Online: Jul 18, 2024

Page range: 631 - 643

Received: Jan 22, 2023

Accepted: Jun 21, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aoas-2023-0074

Keywords
broiler, laying hen, intensive and alternative housing systems, greenhouse gas emission, global warming, environmental footprint

© 2024 Zsolt Szendrő., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Poultry Farming Does not Play a Significant Role in Global Warming – a Review

Published Online: Jul 18, 2024

Page range: 631 - 643

Received: Jan 22, 2023

Accepted: Jun 21, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aoas-2023-0074

Keywordsbroiler, laying hen, intensive and alternative housing systems, greenhouse gas emission, global warming, environmental footprint

© 2024 Zsolt Szendrő., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
broiler, laying hen, intensive and alternative housing systems, greenhouse gas emission, global warming, environmental footprint