One-third of human-induced reactive nitrogen emissions can be traced to livestock supply chains. Highly variable nitrogen use efficiencies along these chains uncover opportunities for more sustainable nitrogen management.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Relevant articles
Open Access articles citing this article.
-
Biowaste-grown live microbial feed additive sustainably and significantly cut enteric methane emissions in Indian livestock
Scientific Reports Open Access 13 January 2026
-
Methane emissions from indigenous nitrogen-efficient bovidae are overestimated
Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 03 October 2025
Access options
Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals
Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription
$32.99 / 30 days
cancel any time
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 digital issues and online access to articles
$119.00 per year
only $9.92 per issue
Rent or buy this article
Prices vary by article type
from$1.95
to$39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Sutton, M. A. et al. Our Nutrient World: The Challenge to Produce More Food and Energy with Less Pollution. Global Overview of Nutrient Management (Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Edinburgh on behalf of the Global Partnership on Nutrient Management and the International Nitrogen Initiative, 2013).
Uwizeye, A. et al. Nat. Food https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-020-0113-y (2020).
Clark, M. & Tilman, D. Environ. Res. Lett. 12, 064016 (2017).
Lassaletta, L. et al. Sci. Total Environ. 665, 739–751 (2019).
Chadwick, D. R. et al. Front. Agr. Sci. Eng. 7, 45–55 (2020).
Zhang, C. et al. Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 144, 65–73 (2019).
Spiegal, S. et al. Agric. Syst. 182, 102813 (2020).
Mueller, N. D. et al. Global Biogeochem. Cycles 31, 245–257 (2017).
van Grinsven, H. J. M. et al. Reg. Environ. Change 18, 2403–2415 (2018).
Bai, Z. et al. Nat. Sustain. 2, 888 (2019).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mueller, N.D., Lassaletta, L. Nitrogen challenges in global livestock systems. Nat Food 1, 400–401 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-020-0117-7
Published:
Version of record:
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-020-0117-7
This article is cited by
-
Biowaste-grown live microbial feed additive sustainably and significantly cut enteric methane emissions in Indian livestock
Scientific Reports (2026)
-
Changes in meat consumption can improve groundwater quality
Nature Food (2025)
-
Methane emissions from indigenous nitrogen-efficient bovidae are overestimated
Communications Earth & Environment (2025)
-
Life-cycle comparisons of economic and environmental consequences for pig production with four different models in China
Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2024)
-
A composite polyphenol-rich extract improved growth performance, ruminal fermentation and immunity, while decreasing methanogenesis and excretion of nitrogen and phosphorus in growing buffaloes
Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2022)
