Environmental implications of slaughterhouses and meat production industries: A comprehensive review

The increasing demand for meat over the past few decades has accelerated meat production and its impact on global warming. Deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, air and water pollution, and large‐scale water consumption are among the most challenging consequences associated with the meat industry. Hence, in the present study, a critical study has been performed to assess the severity of its implications on the environment. This study covers a complete life cycle assessment of the meat industry which includes feed production, livestock rearing, transportation, processing, and distribution. Each of these stages is found to be responsible for contributing a considerable amount of greenhouse gases. It includes carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N 2 O), which are primarily responsible for global warming and climate change. The study highlights the impact of meat production on land and water resources, energy utilization, and biodiversity loss, which collectively pose long‐term risks to ecological stability. Furthermore, potential mitigation measures and policy frameworks have been discussed to encourage sustainable practices and to minimize the overall environmental burden of the meat production sector.