This study takes an in-depth look at the dairy sector in OECD countries in order to see how agricultural subsidies and environmental policies are impacting the environment and international competitiveness of dairy products.

Trade liberalisation affects the pattern and structure of agricultural production, with consequences for the environment. But what are these impacts? And do agri-environmental policies affect international competitiveness? This study takes an in-depth look at the pig sector in OECD countries and draws some conclusions about the most appropriate forms of policy intervention. Further trade liberalisation is likely to strengthen market trends in the pig sector. Production is expected to slow, if not contract, in OECD European and Asian countries. In these countries, government support for pig production in the form of tariffs and/or export subsidies is generally the highest, and the environmental impacts of pig production on water and air pollution are of greatest concern. This book argues that liberalising trade is therefore likely to generate some environmental benefits. Regulatory requirements are the most important type of agri-environmental measures affecting pig production, and these mainly focus on the appropriate management of manure to reduce water pollution. Using comparative analysis, this study concludes that while manure management regulations do differ among countries, the cost effect on pig producers is not significant in explaining differences in international competitiveness.€ This is the first in a series of in-depth studies being undertaken by the OECD to investigate the linkages between agriculture, trade and the environment. Other studies examining the dairy and arable crop sectors are underway.

This OECD 2005 study takes an in-depth look at the arable crops sector in OECD countries and draws some conclusions about the impacts of agricultural support policies, trade liberalisation, agri-environmental payments, and agri-ennvironmental regulations.

"The assessment builds on the work of the Livestock, Environment and Development (LEAD) Initiative"--Pref.

Greenhouse gas emissions by the livestock sector could be cut by as much as 30 percent through the wider use of existing best practices and technologies. FAO conducted a detailed analysis of GHG emissions at multiple stages of various livestock supply chains, including the production and transport of animal feed, on-farm energy use, emissions from animal digestion and manure decay, as well as the post-slaughter transport, refrigeration and packaging of animal products. This report represents the most comprehensive estimate made to-date of livestocks contribution to global warming as well as the sectors potential to help tackle the problem. This publication is aimed at professionals in food and agriculture as well as policy makers.

"Reducing global meat consumption will be critical to keeping global warming below the 'danger level' of two degrees Celsius, the main goal of the upcoming climate negotiations in Paris." --

How we produce and consume food has a bigger impact on Americans' well-being than any other human activity. The food industry is the largest sector of our economy; food touches everything from our health to the environment, climate change, economic inequality, and the federal budget. From the earliest developments of agriculture, a major goal has been to attain sufficient foods that provide the energy and the nutrients needed for a healthy, active life. Over time, food production, processing, marketing, and consumption have evolved and become highly complex. The challenges of improving the food system in the 21st century will require systemic approaches that take full account of social, economic, ecological, and evolutionary factors. Policy or business interventions involving a segment of the food system often have consequences beyond the original issue the intervention was meant to address. A Framework for Assessing Effects of the Food System develops an analytical framework for assessing effects associated with the ways in which food is grown, processed, distributed, marketed, retailed, and consumed in the United States. The framework will allow users to recognize effects across the full food system, consider all domains and dimensions of effects, account for systems dynamics and complexities, and choose appropriate methods for analysis. This report provides example applications of the framework based on complex questions that are currently under debate: consumption of a healthy and safe diet, food security, animal welfare, and preserving the environment and its resources. A Framework for Assessing Effects of the Food System describes the U.S. food system and provides a brief history of its evolution into the current system. This report identifies some of the real and potential implications of the current system in terms of its health, environmental, and socioeconomic effects along with a sense for the complexities of the system, potential metrics, and some of the data needs that are required to assess the effects. The overview of the food system and the framework described in this report will be an essential resource for decision makers, researchers, and others to examine the possible impacts of alternative policies or agricultural or food processing practices.

This OECD study takes an in-depth look at the pig sector in OECD countries and draws some conclusions about the most appropriate forms of policy intervention. It argues that liberalising trade is likely to generate some environmental benefits.

Comprehensive, up to date and internationally comparable data on the environmental performance of agriculture in OECD countries.

This book offers a comprehensive overview of the state of the art in sustainable dairy production, helping the industry to develop more sustainable dairy products, through new technologies, implementing life cycle analysis, and upgrading and optimization of their current production lines. It aims to stimulate process innovations, taking into account environmental, economic and public relations benefits for companies. Topics covered include: How to set up a sustainable production line How to quantify the carbon foot print of a dairy product by using life cycle analysis Current technologies to improve the carbon foot print What measures can be taken to reduce the global warming potential of the farm Reduction of water use in dairy production Marketing sustainable dairy products Bench marking of dairy products against other food products Potential future technological developments to improve the carbon foot print for the following decades