The presidential election isn’t the only political event we’ve been watching this November. In the meantime, we’re also watching discussions on the global stage as part of the United Nations’ annual climate change conference, COP. This year’s event, COP29, is being held November 11 to 22 in Baku, Azerbaijan with the theme: “In Solidarity for a Green World.” During COP29, policymakers and world leaders will be discussing progress and ongoing commitments to reach the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The U.S. animal agriculture community has a proven track record of continuously improving animal care, environmental impact, and food security and has committed to even greater achievements. Real progress toward healthy people and a healthy planet depends on recognizing and advancing those contributions. With COP29 amping up the dialog around sustainable food systems, the Alliance just published a brand-new report https://animalagalliance.org/issues/sustainability/ that highlights how U.S. animal agriculture is actively contributing to all 17 SDGs. Here are a few examples:
SDG 2: Zero Hunger- Meat, dairy, poultry, eggs, and seafood play a pivotal role in healthy, balanced diets. The U.S. dairy community alone is supplying enough protein for 169 million people, calcium for 254 million people, and energy for 71.2 million people.
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being
- Animal-based foods are great sources of many essential nutrients – some of which are best and sometimes only found in meat, dairy, poultry, eggs, and seafood. These foods can also support weight management, satiety, physical fitness, and overall health. Some foods, such as dairy, have been linked to reduced risk of certain diseases like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
- The U.S. animal agriculture community is always looking for new ways to innovate, including projects to recycle manure from the farm and convert it into renewable energy. The U.S. dairy community is contributing with its growing use of methane digesters to convert manure into biofuel.
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- The agriculture and food sector provides employment to 10.4% of the working population in the U.S., equating to roughly 22 million jobs for Americans.
- Agriculture, food, and related industries contributed approximately $1.53 trillion to U.S. gross domestic product in 2023, making up 6.5% of the share.
SDG 13: Climate Action
- Many farms in the U.S. have been passed down over multiple generations. This is not possible without the everyday commitment to care for the land and preserve it for the next generation. Thanks to improved farming practices over the years, the dairy community has reduced the carbon footprint of one gallon of milk by 19%, requiring 30% less water and 21% less land.
- Although incredible progress toward climate change efforts has already been made, the U.S. animal agriculture community remains committed to furthering that progress, including a pledge from U.S. dairy to reach greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050.
The Alliance received a highly coveted badge to participate in COP29 and will be sharing it with our partners at Protein PACT, who will be on the ground at the event, along with other friends from the U.S. animal agriculture community. Whether or not you’re there in person, we can all take part in sharing our sustainability story. You can become a stronger advocate for animal agriculture through our Animal Ag Allies program and by visiting www.animalagalliance.org/issues/sustainability for more resources and information.
Emily Ellis is the manager of communications and content at the Animal Agriculture Alliance. In her role, she works to execute the Alliance’s issues management and communications strategy.