Unequal impact of climate warming on meat yields of global cattle farming

This study investigates the impact of climate warming on global cattle meat yield using country-level data from 1961 to 2020. Findings reveal a nonlinear, inverted-U shaped relationship between temperature and cattle meat yield, with yields increasing at lower temperatures, peaking around 7°C, and then declining at higher temperatures. This response is particularly pronounced in grassland-based livestock systems. Further analysis shows unequal impacts of warming between high- and low-income countries, with low-income countries disproportionately affected. Future warming scenarios exacerbate these inequalities, particularly under higher emission scenarios.

Weihang Liu, Junxiong Zhou, Yuchi Ma, Shuo Chen, Yuchuan Luo