Precision livestock farming: Bridging the gap between media narratives and scientific realities in climate change impact

In the current scenario, as per media reports, the intensive agriculture and livestock sector significantly contribute to the negative impact on environmental sustainability. This is mainly due to greenhouse gas emissions from ruminant digestive fermentations and effluent disposal (CO2, CH4, N2O). The present study aligns with this concern, aiming to achieve two main objectives: 1) to review the existing data pertaining to the current state of art and 2) offering insights based on the scientific regarding the actual impact of animal production and agriculture on global warming. To fulfill these objectives, we initially gathered information disseminated by websites through an Internet search using the Google search engine. Subsequently, this information was cross-referenced with data reported in recent scientific literature addressing this topic. The analysis revealed a significant inconsistency between media reports and the scientific data reported in the literature. This evidence highlights the imperative to focus research attention and investment in this field. In particular, recent literature sources have introduced new updated metrics (e.g., GWP*), which provide estimates of the extent to which livestock farms have successfully reduced pollutant gas emissions over the past decade, contradicting prevalent narratives. In this context, the role of technologies employed in animal rearing becomes pivotal, as they play a central role in reducting emissions. Therefore, the use and refinement of tools that provide reliable data on emissions becomes urgent to counteract the proliferation of misinformation.