A man loves the meat in his youth that he cannot endure in his age.

Global meat production has tripled in the past three decades and could double its present level by 2050. That's likely to have a significant impact on human health, the environment, and the global economy in the next 50 year, according to a new two-volume report, Livestock in a Changing Landscape. Key findings regarding the economic and ecological footprint of livestock:

* More than 1.7 billion animals are used in livestock production worldwide and occupy more than one-fourth of the Earth's land.
* Production of animal feed consumes about one-third of Earth's total arable land.
* Livestock production accounts for approximately 40 percent of the global agricultural gross domestic product.
* Although 1 billion poor people derive part of their livelihood from domesticated animals, commercialized industrial livestock has displaced many small, rural producers in developing countries, like India and China.
* The livestock sector, including feed production and transport, is responsible for about 18 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide (the beef, pork and poultry industries emit large amounts of CO2, methane, and other greenhouse gases).
* The livestock sector is a major environmental polluter, with much of the world's pastureland degraded by grazing or feed production, and with many forests clear-cut to make way for additional farmland.
* Feed production requires intensive use of water, fertilizer, pesticides, and fossil fuels.
* Animal waste is a serious concern, since only a third of the nutrients fed to animals are actually absorbed and the rest pollute lands and waters.
* Total phosphorous excretions of livestock are estimated to be seven to nine times greater than from humans.