This thesis analyzes the international discourse of greenhouse gas emissions in relation to livestock production. Specific government ministries, research institutes, and multilateral organizations are framing a new strategy to mitigate emissions by using emissions intensity metrics. Emissions intensity is a ratio comparing emissions produced per unit of animal product as oppose to measuring absolute emissions. This research is acknowledged as a win-win scenario which allows for a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions while continuing production more efficiently. This thesis outlines the emergence of this metric in international discourse and the implications this shift has on the livestock sector globally. Ultimately, I argue that a focus on reducing emissions intensity in isolation from reduction in absolute emissions allows for the continued mass industrial production of livestock through a business-as-usual process. Improving efficiency produces cheap meat and drives up consumption overall increasing the overall production of livestock. The narrow scope of emissions intensity developed as an economic stance with political ambition, but branded as a mechanism to address climate change.
","abstract_html":"<p>This thesis analyzes the international discourse of greenhouse gas emissions in relation to livestock production. Specific government ministries, research institutes, and multilateral organizations are framing a new strategy to mitigate emissions by using emissions intensity metrics. Emissions intensity is a ratio comparing emissions produced per unit of animal product as oppose to measuring absolute emissions. This research is acknowledged as a win-win scenario which allows for a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions while continuing production more efficiently. This thesis outlines the emergence of this metric in international discourse and the implications this shift has on the livestock sector globally. Ultimately, I argue that a focus on reducing emissions intensity in isolation from reduction in absolute emissions allows for the continued mass industrial production of livestock through a business-as-usual process. Improving efficiency produces cheap meat and drives up consumption overall increasing the overall production of livestock. The narrow scope of emissions intensity developed as an economic stance with political ambition, but branded as a mechanism to address climate change.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Simon, Kalyn"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts in International Studies (MAIS)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"International Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Brian Dowd-Uribe","Dana Zartner"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2018,"date_issued":"2018-05-15T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2018-05-15T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:44:20Z","subjects":["Emissions Intensity","Livestock","Greenhouse Gas Emissions","Climate Change","Agriculture","Dairy Science","Environmental Health and Protection","Environmental Policy","Meat Science","Political Science"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://repository.usfca.edu/thes/257","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Brian Dowd-Uribe","Dana Zartner"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Simon, Kalyn"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-12-18T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["International Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts in International Studies (MAIS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Emissions Intensity","Livestock","Greenhouse Gas Emissions","Climate Change","Agriculture","Dairy Science","Environmental Health and Protection","Environmental Policy","Meat Science","Political Science"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://repository.usfca.edu/thes/257"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This thesis analyzes the international discourse of greenhouse gas emissions in relation to livestock production. Specific government ministries, research institutes, and multilateral organizations are framing a new strategy to mitigate emissions by using emissions intensity metrics. Emissions intensity is a ratio comparing emissions produced per unit of animal product as oppose to measuring absolute emissions. This research is acknowledged as a win-win scenario which allows for a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions while continuing production more efficiently. This thesis outlines the emergence of this metric in international discourse and the implications this shift has on the livestock sector globally. Ultimately, I argue that a focus on reducing emissions intensity in isolation from reduction in absolute emissions allows for the continued mass industrial production of livestock through a business-as-usual process. Improving efficiency produces cheap meat and drives up consumption overall increasing the overall production of livestock. The narrow scope of emissions intensity developed as an economic stance with political ambition, but branded as a mechanism to address climate change.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["What’s at Steak? The Political Discourse of Emissions Intensity and Implications of Animal Agriculture"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Brian Dowd-Uribe","Dana Zartner"],"dc:creator":["Simon, Kalyn"],"dc:date.available":["2017-12-18T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This thesis analyzes the international discourse of greenhouse gas emissions in relation to livestock production. Specific government ministries, research institutes, and multilateral organizations are framing a new strategy to mitigate emissions by using emissions intensity metrics. Emissions intensity is a ratio comparing emissions produced per unit of animal product as oppose to measuring absolute emissions. This research is acknowledged as a win-win scenario which allows for a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions while continuing production more efficiently. This thesis outlines the emergence of this metric in international discourse and the implications this shift has on the livestock sector globally. Ultimately, I argue that a focus on reducing emissions intensity in isolation from reduction in absolute emissions allows for the continued mass industrial production of livestock through a business-as-usual process. Improving efficiency produces cheap meat and drives up consumption overall increasing the overall production of livestock. The narrow scope of emissions intensity developed as an economic stance with political ambition, but branded as a mechanism to address climate change.
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