Drilled S14, Ep7 | How the Animal Ag Industry Obstructs Climate Policy
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Oct 21, 2025 Kathrin Lauber, an academic at the University of Edinburgh, and Silvia Secchi, a researcher at the University of Iowa, dive into the tactics used by the meat and dairy industries to dodge climate regulations. They discuss how agricultural exceptionalism and powerful lobbying prevent meaningful policy changes. Kathrin reveals the industry's backlash against pivotal reports on livestock emissions, while Silvia highlights the historical strategies employed to counteract regulation. Together, they illuminate the complexities behind governmental resistance to animal agriculture reform.
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Animal Ag Is A Major GHG Source
- Animal agriculture produces a large share of food-system greenhouse gases including methane, nitrous oxide, and CO2.
- Estimates place livestock's share between about 12–19% of global anthropogenic emissions.
Individual Action Isn’t Enough
- Individual dietary choices matter but cannot solve livestock emissions at scale.
- Kathrin Lauber argues systemic policy is required to meaningfully cut animal-ag emissions.
Regulators Sidestep Big Operations
- U.S. regulators often avoid disclosing or regulating large confined animal feeding operations.
- Silvia Secchi says EPA strategies have sidelined CAFOs and diverted attention to other measures.
