In France the Court of Auditors states that a reduction of the cattle herd is necessary to comply with international climate and environmental agreements. The advice is in line with the goals of the French government. It wants greenhouse gas emissions to be halved by 2030 compared to 1990. The reduction target for the agricultural sector for that period has been set at 20 percent. With 17.4 million cows, including young stock, French dairy farms account for about half of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, livestock farming uses a lot of water. French livestock farmers disagree with the Court of Auditors. They argue that innovation and sustainable agricultural methods can also reduce emissions and warn of the consequences for the economy and employment that a reduction in livestock would have.