​A Field Guide to "Cowspiracy"

What Cowspiracy got right

 

One of the main claims Cowspiracy makes is that animal agriculture contributes more to global greenhouse gas emissions than all other transport emissions combined.  As surprising as this claim is, it turns out to be true.  According to the most recent report published by the IPCC, transportation contributes 14% to all greenhouse gas emissions while the animal agriculture industry (AFOLU) contributes 24% to all greenhouse gas emissions (SEE FIGURE).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On top of this, the 2006 UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) report (also referenced in the film) puts their estimation of animal agriculture's contribution to all greenhouse gasses at 18%. Given these stats are both estimated, the exact accuracy of both of these figures can never be surely known, but both estimations point that the animal agriculture outweighs transportation in attributed greenhouse emissions.

 

Another claim put forth in the documentary is that plant-based food production is far less polluting and resource hungry when compared to animal product production.  This too is referenced in an IPCC report( specifically seen on page 840 here). The study concluded that switching the world’s diet to not include animal products would greatly reduce greenhouse emissions by about 9%.  This was based off of a cited study (Stehfest et al 2009).

 

The film’s claims on the excessive water need/consumption by the animal agriculture industry are also well backed.  While the documentary seems to “nitpick” for specific examples that add shock value (such as the 60 barrels of water needed to create one pound of meat) the claim that animal agriculture requires vast more water than the vegan alternative is very true (and can be seen here ).

In general, the broad claims the film makes about the environmental impacts that the animal agriculture industry creates is both shocking and well backed.  While several critics the film attack the IPCC  and FAO reports accuracy, all the evidence available to the public show a similar trend and are from reputable sources.  Likewise, all accredited research establish the same, or similar, conclusions to the ones derived by the IPCC and FAO.