COP30: TIME DOES NOT STOP

What is the role of livestock farming on a planet under pressure?

In recent years, science has shown us increasingly clear evidence: we are exceeding the planet's resilience capacity. The Planetary Health Check 2025 revealed that seven of the nine planetary boundaries have already been transgressed, including climate, biodiversity, land use, water and nutrient cycles, as well as chemical pollution and ocean acidification.

As Cazuza sings in "O tempo não para" (Time Doesn't Stop), "some days yes, some days no, I'll survive without a scratch." The metaphor fits the planet well: for a while, it resists; but, if there are no significant changes in the way we have been living, irreversible wounds may form. The message is clear: time doesn't stop, and the dairy farming industry needs to act now and be part of the solution.

COP30 will bring the center of global climate discussions to Brazil. This special edition of the "Integral Sustainability" column in Leite Integral magazine inaugurates coverage that will closely follow the role of agribusiness and dairy farming in the environmental agenda, with Bruna Silper participating in the event and connecting science, the field, and communication. In this pre-COP moment, this article reflects on the question: what is the role of dairy farming on a planet under pressure? How can the sector help balance the relationship between productivity, climate, and the limits that sustain life?

What are planetary boundaries?

The concept of planetary boundaries was developed in 2009 by Johan Rockström and colleagues, updated over the last decade, and reaffirmed by the 2025 report. It describes nine critical dimensions for maintaining stable conditions on Earth, represented in Figure 1, with current state information.

The message is clear: time is not stopping, and the dairy farming industry needs to act now and be part of the solution.

Figure 1. Planetary boundaries and current state of the Earth system.

Source: Stockholm Resilience Centre | Planetary Health Check 2025. Translation and adaptation: ESGpec / Revista Leite Integral

There is a safe space: as long as we remain within it, the Earth can self-regulate. But when we cross these limits and enter the risk zones of reaching points of no return, natural processes lose their resilience. Each of the planetary boundaries influences the others. Deforestation, for example, reduces biodiversity, compromises the water cycle, and accelerates climate change due to greenhouse gas emissions.

Dairy farming and planetary boundaries

Milk production is connected to virtually all planetary boundaries. Understanding this relationship is essential to identifying where the risks lie and where the opportunities for transformation reside. Figure 2 summarizes how sustainable practices in dairy farming can contribute to respecting planetary boundaries.

Figure 2. Pathways to livestock farming in balance with the planet.

Climate

Livestock farming, like many other economic activities, is a source of greenhouse gases, such as enteric methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O). These gases have a greater global warming potential (GWP 100) than CO₂, despite remaining in the atmosphere for a shorter time.

➡ In practice: increased productivity, feed efficiency, use of co-products and by-products, and biodigesters are examples of how to significantly reduce emissions in dairy farming, while also improving the profitability of the activity.

Biodiversity

The expansion of pasture areas over natural ecosystems is among the main causes of biodiversity loss in Brazil. On the other hand, practices such as integrated crop-livestock-forestry systems (ICLF) and regenerative agriculture help restore habitats, favor pollinators, and maintain biodiversity in the soil.

In practice: it is urgent that deforestation be stopped and biomes be regenerated to return to balance and a safe zone in relation to planetary barriers.

Land use

Over 60% of Brazil's agricultural area is occupied by pastures, approximately 21% of the national territory. A significant portion of these areas remains low-productivity, highlighting the challenge and opportunity for increased production without needing to expand the cultivated area.

➡ In practice: seek sustainable intensification, regenerative practices, crop diversification, and productivity growth.

Fresh water

Anthropogenic activities can impact both blue water (rivers, lakes) and green water (soil moisture). Low efficiency of use, poor effluent management, lack of planning and infrastructure can compromise watersheds.

➡ In practice: Conservation of water sources, reuse of water for cleaning facilities, and fertigation with manure are alternatives for preserving water quality and availability.

Nutrients (N and P)

Agronomic guidance is essential to ensure that fertilizer application is done judiciously, without risk or overloading soils and rivers, which can result in eutrophication and increased nitrous oxide emissions.

➡ In practice: Biodigesters, composting, and biofertilizers create nutrient cycles within rural properties and transform waste into inputs.

New entities

The use of antibiotics, plastics (for example in the preservation of animal feed), and chemicals in cleaning, for example, can contribute to the breakdown of this barrier.

➡ In practice: rational management of antibiotics, proper disposal of packaging, and substitution with less polluting inputs reduce risks.

What we already know works

The dairy sector is not starting from scratch. There are already tested solutions, applicable to various production systems, that contribute to ensuring we continue to operate within a safe environment.

• Productive efficiency: increasing liters/cow/day dilutes greenhouse gas emissions per kg of milk.

• Methane mitigation: feed additives can act in the rumen and reduce enteric emissions.

• Regenerative agriculture: Techniques such as crop rotation, integrated crop-livestock-forestry systems (ICLFS), and no-till farming contribute to carbon storage in the soil, in addition to improving soil health and crop productivity.

• Waste management: biodigesters transform waste into clean energy and co-products to return organic matter and nutrients to the soil.

• Animal welfare: Systems that promote comfort and health result in greater resilience for production systems.

The dairy sector is not starting from scratch. There are already tested solutions applicable to different production systems, capable of contributing to maintaining activities within a safe operating environment.

Cascade effects: the power of interactions

The Planetary Health Check highlights that limits are not isolated situations. This is also true on the farm:

• Improve animal welfare → better health → fewer animal losses → reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

• Treating waste → less methane → more biofertilizer → less dependence on and spending on chemical fertilizers.

• Implement regenerative soil management → more carbon stored in the soil → better soil structure → more water in the soil → greater soil biodiversity

These are some examples of practices with multiple benefits. Each good practice generates direct and indirect effects, which add up and reduce environmental and productive risks. As Figure 3 shows, these cascading effects reveal how integrated actions on the farm, from management to animal welfare, strengthen the regeneration of productive and environmental systems.

Figure 3. Cascade effects in regenerative livestock farming.

Challenges

Despite the progress, some obstacles to further development in these areas are:

• Unequal access: small producers have fewer resources to invest in technologies.

• Culture and information: there is still resistance to adopting innovative practices.

• Data: Brazil lacks robust information on GHG emissions in the sector, which reinforces the importance of national inventories.

• Public policies: there is a lack of economic incentives for sustainable practices on a large scale.

Opportunity for Brazil: COP30 and beyond

In November 2025, Belém will host COP30. It's a unique opportunity for Brazil to showcase its solutions to the world and lead the discussion.

With unique biodiversity, locally developed technologies, and successful experiences already underway, the country can lead the transition to a balanced, integrated, and biodiverse livestock industry. ESGpec's presence in this debate reinforces its mission to bring applied science and digital tools that help the sector measure, plan, and act.

In November 2025, Belém will host COP30. It's a unique opportunity for Brazil to showcase its solutions to the world and lead the discussion.

Conclusion: Change is urgent and it's time to act.

The Planetary Health Check 2025 shows that much of the biosphere is already in at-risk zones, but there are ways to restore Earth's stability.

In dairy farming, every decision matters. From diet to manure management, from genetics to land use, today's choices can reposition the sector as a key player in climate and ecological solutions.

Time, as the song reminds us, moves forward without waiting. And that is precisely why this moment demands action and dialogue. We have the opportunity to show that dairy farming in Brazil can be part of the solution, with balanced, integrated, and biodiverse production systems committed to the regeneration of the planet and its biomes.

This special edition marks the partnership between Revista Leite Integral and ESGpec , in a collaboration focused on disseminating technical and scientific knowledge about sustainability in livestock farming. Together, the magazine and the startup work to bridge the gap between the field of science, translating data into accessible information, promoting reflection, engagement, and concrete action .

“COP30 is about setting goals, about alignment between countries, and also about finding ways to live in balance. Dairy farming has a strategic role in the change that needs to happen, in a significant and rapid way.” Bruna Silper , co-founder of ESGpec and columnist for Leite Integral Magazine.

BRUNA SILPER Veterinarian, specialist in precision livestock farming and sustainable solutions, PhD in Animal Science and dairy farmer in MG

HELOISE DUARTE

Veterinarian specializing in Agro-industrial Management and beef producer in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

LUIZ GUSTAVO PEREIRA

Veterinarian, professor and researcher, PhD in Animal Science, specialist in nutrition and regenerative systems.