Integrated bundled measures could halve reactive nitrogen losses and reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in global livestock systems.

Simultaneous mitigation of reactive nitrogen and greenhouse gas emissions in livestock systems is a critical challenge for sustainable food production. Here we conduct a meta-analysis of over 3,000 empirical observations to assess the mitigation performance of integrated technologies within livestock farms. Mitigation options are categorized into low-cost and easily scalable technologies and precision-integrated technologies, with the latter performing better by reducing reactive nitrogen and non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions by two-fifths and one-third, respectively. High-efficacy hotspots emerged in North America, Europe and East and Southeast Asia. Beyond current practices, a transition towards an integrated management framework centred on enclosed manure-treatment systems offers further reductions of over half for reactive nitrogen and two-thirds for non-CO2 greenhouse gas by 2050. Meeting net-zero targets will require sustained capture of almost three-quarters of CO2 from these systems. These findings highlight the critical role of integrated approaches for advancing sustainable and climate-resilient livestock production systems.