Livestock Farming and Climate Change

**119**

**Chapter 7**

**Abstract**

losses due to methane synthesis.

**1. Introduction**

secondary metabolites, methanogens

(livestock, rice crops, fossil fuel exploitation, and dump).

Climate Change Mitigation

Nonconventional Feedstuffs and

*Pámanes-Carrasco Gerardo, Herrera-Torres Esperanza,* 

Livestock production has widely contributed to increase global production of greenhouse gases (GHG), mostly through digestive fermentation in ruminants. Moreover, emissions derived from livestock are estimated over 14% of the total anthropogenic GHG emissions to atmosphere. In addition, methane emitted from ruminal enteric fermentation is responsible for 25% of the total global methane emissions, which turns livestock activity into a main promoter of the climate change effect. However, these emissions may be diminished by modifying livestock diets through alterations in forage-concentrate ratios, the supplementation of feed additives, and the inclusion of alternative feedstuffs not commonly used as forage and protein sources in farm animal feeding. Additionally, the use of nonconventional feedstuffs is highly recommended since their production does not compete with human feeding and may provide metabolites used as methanogenesis suppressors. Likewise, agricultural by-products should be considered as potential feedstuffs for animal production by increasing the livestock efficiency and reducing the energy

**Keywords:** methanogenesis inhibitors, nonconventional forages, feedstuff additives,

The world's population have substantially increased in the last decades, and it is expected to keep increasing for the next 30 years until the population reaches 9.8 billion in 2050 [1]. Consequently, there is a growing demand for food and natural resources for human surviving. Livestock represents a main source of protein and energy for human consumption, as well as an important basis of financial revenues for families at rural areas. However, this economic activity is positively correlated to the climate change (CC) effect [2]. In the last centuries, CO2 and NO2 emissions have increased 31 and 16%, respectively; whereas, methane has increased twofold. Approximately, 40% of the methane emitted to atmosphere is originated from natural sources [2]; the remaining 60% is originated from anthropogenic sources

*Murillo-Ortiz Manuel and Reyes-Jáquez Damián*

in Livestock Production:

Alternative Additives
