Producing one kilogram of beef can use up as much as 27 kilograms of carbon emissions. That’s almost the same quantity as if you were to burn between 6 and 10 litres of petrol.

The world’s meat production is growing at an unprecedented rate and the driving force behind this surge is a combination of population growth, rising incomes and urbanization.

Agricultural food production and agriculturally-related change in land use substantially contribute to greenhouse-gas emissions worldwide. Four-fifths of agricultural emissions arise from the livestock sector.

Livestock require large quantities of deforested land and water. The sector uses 3.4 billion hectares for grazing and one-third of global arable land to grow feed crops. Cattle emit huge amounts of carbon and so do the value chains for processing meat.

In spite of this, based on current consumption patterns, the annual production of meat is projected to increase from 225 million tonnes to 376 million tonnes by 2030. This represents a 67 percent increase in 15 years. Imagine what that will mean in terms of carbon emissions.

In the countries of Europe and Central Asia, governments are investing considerable amounts in promoting livestock and poultry farming so they can achieve self-sufficiency. The region is host to159 million cattle – the equivalent of 11 percent of the world’s total stock. In Central Asia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have the largest numbers.

Because it is such a massive industry, the production of meat, if well-managed, can present huge opportunities for creating jobs, reducing poverty and promoting food security. But if this all happens at the expense of our environment, we’ll be shooting ourselves in the foot.

I recently attended a meeting in Algeria that explored home-grown solutions for managing livestock sustainably to combat poverty and promote food security. Here are a few interesting things I didn’t know:

First, it’s possible to develop livestock without significantly increasing the amount of carbon that goes into the atmosphere. In the UK for instance, technological improvements and a 30 percent reduction in livestock production can reduce the carbon emissions by 50 percent in this industry by 2030.

By reducing the use of fossil fuels in livestock management, for instance, significant amounts ofcarbon emissions can be avoided. If the energy needs of the industry can be met by renewables, thousands of jobs can be created in wind or solar energy industries by 2030. And the environmental footprint can remain constant, if not decline.

There’s also a case to be made for offsetting carbon emissions by using grazing land for investing in green energy, as was the case of a recent Apple purchase of significant amounts of solar energy. As it turns out, the value of that land will likely increase.

Second, mixed-farming systems, which combine arable farming with livestock management, can significantly improve the conditions in which farmers can increase the productivity of crops and animals in a profitable and sustainable way. In this context, livestock can make a major contribution to the efficient use of available natural resources. In developed countries like the US or Japan, this method is widely used.

Third, focusing on sustainability in cattle rearing can have a greater social impact than existing practices. In Algeria for instance, over the last fifteen years, public authorities have focused on fodder supply and rotation grazing. Efforts like these have enabled livestock to reach a value of 23 billion dollars, creating revenue for millions of farmers.

These solutions are to be found in the Global South, where remarkable battles have been fought to bring millions out of poverty. If these countries focus on practical solutions, as was the case in Algeria, I truly believe that livestock and sustainable development can actually co-exist.