Image: VOLKER Weihbold
The French Court of Auditors has called for a strategy to reduce cattle numbers so that the country can meet its climate targets. The heavily subsidized cattle farming in France is responsible for 11.8 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, which is comparable to emissions from residential buildings, the Court of Auditors said on Tuesday.
In order to meet the obligations on methane emissions, the number of livestock would inevitably have to be significantly reduced. This reduction can also be reconciled with the nutritional needs of the population.
Beef: number one in the EU
However, plans by the Ministry of Agriculture did not directly address the issue of reducing livestock. They even include measures such as larger grazing areas, which do not reduce emissions if livestock numbers there are also increasing. The Court of Auditors advised the government on clear priorities for subsidies in order to achieve high-performing and sustainable livestock farming. Farms with no economic prospects and no socio-ecological added value would have to be supported in converting away from animal husbandry.
Cattle breeding is an important part of French agriculture and farms almost a third of the agricultural area, said the Court of Auditors. After Germany, France is the largest milk producer in the EU and the first producer of beef. With 4.3 billion euros in state aid per year, cattle breeding is also the most heavily subsidized agricultural activity in France.
Source: Nachrichten
