A farm level approach to define successful mitigation strategies for GHG emissions from ruminant livestock systems

2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. L. M. Schils ◽  
A. Verhagen ◽  
H. F. M. Aarts ◽  
L. B. J. Šebek
2021 ◽  
pp. 127693
Author(s):  
Guilhermo Francklin de Souza Congio ◽  
André Bannink ◽  
Olga Lucía Mayorga Mogollón ◽  
Alexander Nikolov Hristov ◽  
Gustavo Jaurena ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 191-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meryl Jagarnath ◽  
Tirusha Thambiran

Because current emissions accounting approaches focus on an entire city, cities are often considered to be large emitters of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with no attention to the variation within them. This makes it more difficult to identify climate change mitigation strategies that can simultaneously reduce emissions and address place-specific development challenges. In response to this gap, a bottom-up emissions inventory study was undertaken to identify high emission zones and development goals for the Durban metropolitan area (eThekwini Municipality). The study is the first attempt at creating a spatially disaggregated emissions inventory for key sectors in Durban. The results indicate that particular groups and economic activities are responsible for more emissions, and socio-spatial development and emission inequalities are found both within the city and within the high emission zone. This is valuable information for the municipality in tailoring mitigation efforts to reduce emissions and address development gaps for low-carbon spatial planning whilst contributing to objectives for social justice.


2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 495 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. O'Brien ◽  
A. Geoghegan ◽  
K. McNamara ◽  
L. Shalloo

The Irish dairy industry aims to increase milk production from grass-based farms following the removal of the EU milk-quota system, but is also required to minimise greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to meet European reduction targets. Consequently, the sector is under increasing pressure to reduce GHG emissions per unit of milk, or carbon footprint (CF). Therefore, the goal of the present study was to determine the main sources of the CF of grass-based milk production and to identify mitigation strategies that can be applied to reduce farm footprints. In total, the CF of milk was estimated for 62 grass-based dairy farms in 2014. The method used to quantify GHG emissions was a life cycle assessment (LCA), independently certified to comply with the British standard for LCA (PAS 2050). The LCA method was applied to calculate annual on- and off-farm GHG emissions associated with dairy production until milk was sold from the farm in CO2-equivalent (CO2-eq). Annual GHG emissions computed using LCA were allocated to milk on the basis of the economic value of dairy products and expressed per kilogram of fat- and protein-corrected milk to estimate CF. Enteric methane was the main source of the CF of milk (46%), followed by emissions from inorganic N fertilisers (16%), manure (16%) and concentrate feedstuffs (8%). The mean CF of milk from the 62 farms was 1.26 kg of CO2-eq per kilogram of fat- and protein-corrected milk, but varied from 0.98 kg to 1.67 kg as measured using the 95% confidence interval. The CF of milk was correlated with numerous farm attributes, particularly N-fertiliser, the percentage of grazed grass in the diet, and production of milk solids. Grass-based dairy farmers can significantly improve these farm attributes by increasing herd genetic merit, extending the length of the grazing season and optimising N fertiliser use and, thereby, reduce the CF of milk.


2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (8) ◽  
pp. 1558
Author(s):  
Ghulam Habib

The study examined baseline emissions of greenhouse gases from ruminant livestock in Pakistan for the year 2014 and evaluated feasible interventions for mitigating the sector emissions. Total emissions (as CO2-equivalents) from livestock supply chain from cradle to farm gate were estimated at 431007 × 103 t. Major part (77%) of the emissions was produced by the mixed system and the remaining 23% was contributed by the grazing system. Methane emissions were 62.5% of the total emissions, followed by N2O at 29.4% and CO2 at 8.1%. Bulk of milk (87.6%) and meat (59.4%) was produced by the mixed system, which was associated with three-fold higher emissions at 332248 × 103 t than when they were produced by the grazing system. The emission intensity (kg CO2-eq/kg protein) of milk and meat averaged 183.4 and 443.2 respectively, and ranked higher than the global average values. Buffaloes were responsible for the major proportion of emissions, followed by cattle. Average emissions per animal in buffalo, cattle, sheep and goat were 4.27, 3.27, 0.28 and 0.25 t CO2-eq/year respectively. The emission intensities (kg CO2-eq/kg commodity protein) of both milk and meat remained lower in cattle than buffalo and were calculated as 166.1 and 299.7 in cattle and 189.5 and 527.9 in buffaloes respectively. The carbon footprint of milk and meat in sheep and goats also remained high and averaged 189.0 and 472.6 kg CO2-eq/kg protein respectively. Overall, the emission intensity of meat was slightly higher in the grazing system than mixed system, but remained much higher in non-dairy herds than in dairy herds (1006.6 vs 46.6 kg CO2-eq/kg meat protein). Interventions such as improving diet quality through increased fodder supply, vaccination for adequate health control and genetic improvement reduced emission intensities of milk (kg CO2-eq/kg protein), varying from 20.3% to 36.8% compared with the baseline in dairy cows and buffaloes and this was associated with a positive productivity outcome of enhanced milk production by 25–50%. More significant reduction in emission intensities of milk between 48.1% and 53.1%, together with a 100% increase in milk yield above baseline, resulted from combined application of the three interventions as a single package.


2009 ◽  
Vol 2009 ◽  
pp. 23-23
Author(s):  
E Wall ◽  
D Moran

The economic appraisal of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions is complex. The shadow price of carbon (SPC) is derived from the best estimate of the present value of damages associated with a tonne of GHG emission in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2 eq). The SPC rises with time, reflecting the increasing marginal damage of a tonne of GHG when added to a growing stock of atmospheric GHGs. There are many possible technical mitigation options for livestock systems, one of which includes harnessing selection tools. The study of Stott et al. (2005) describes how relative economic values (REVs) are calculated for traits included in the UK dairy profit index (£PLI) using dynamic programming tools to model a whole farm system. The REV for each trait is calculated by examining the consequence of a unit change in a trait of interest on net farm revenue, while keeping all other traits in the index fixed. The SPC provides a useful mechanism of considering the costs of GHG emissions in an economic index framework, such as £PLI. This study outlines methods for incorporating the environmental value of emissions mitigation into breeding goals.


Proceedings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 177
Author(s):  
Suzanne J. Rowe ◽  
Melanie Hess ◽  
Larissa Zetouni ◽  
Sharon Hickey ◽  
Rudiger Brauning ◽  
...  

The greatest source of global anthropogenic methane (CH4) emissions is from ruminant livestock. Multiple mitigation strategies in livestock are currently being explored. Of these breeding for lower CH4 emitting ruminants has the advantage of being permanent and cumulative and universally applicable to all classes of livestock. Here, we show that methane emissions can be predicted by the complex community of microbiota sampled from rumens enabling evaluation of systems and individuals. Furthermore, there is evidence that the microbial community is controlled not only be the feed substrate but also by the host itself and that selecting hosts that favour a microbial fermentation with lowered methane emissions changes the energy source to the animal, and in turn both rumen physiology and body composition. Current methods for obtaining microbial DNA and subsequent sequencing of an animal’s microbiome, however, are too expensive to implement in commercial selection programs. A methodology that offers fast, low-cost, high throughput profiling of rumen microbiomes using Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) has been developed using an unbiased reference free approach to group microbiota. To date, this has been applied to over 4000 sheep samples and validated in cattle. Results show that microbial profiles are heritable and correlated with methane emissions and feed intake. This research is part of a flagship program funded by the global research alliance to disseminate global access to technologies that lower greenhouse gas emissions in ruminant livestock.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 2715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Padilla-Rivera ◽  
Ben Amor ◽  
Pierre Blanchet

The design and study of low carbon buildings is a major concern in a modern economy due to high carbon emissions produced by buildings and its effects on climate change. Studies have investigated (CFP) Carbon Footprint of buildings, but there remains a need for a strong analysis that measure and quantify the overall degree of GHG emissions reductions and its relationship with the effect on climate change mitigation. This study evaluates the potential of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the building sector by evaluating the (CFP) of four hotpots approaches defined in line with commonly carbon reduction strategies, also known as mitigation strategies. CFP framework is applied to compare the (CC) climate change impact of mitigation strategies. A multi-story timber residential construction in Quebec City (Canada) was chosen as a baseline scenario. This building has been designed with the idea of being a reference of sustainable development application in the building sector. In this scenario, the production of materials and construction (assembly, waste management and transportation) were evaluated. A CFP that covers eight actions divided in four low carbon strategies, including: low carbon materials, material minimization, reuse and recycle materials and adoption of local sources and use of biofuels were evaluated. The results of this study shows that the used of prefabricated technique in buildings is an alternative to reduce the CFP of buildings in the context of Quebec. The CC decreases per m2 floor area in baseline scenario is up to 25% than current buildings. If the benefits of low carbon strategies are included, the timber structures can generate 38% lower CC than the original baseline scenario. The investigation recommends that CO2eq emissions reduction in the design and implementation of residential constructions as climate change mitigation is perfectly feasible by following different working strategies. It is concluded that if the four strategies were implemented in current buildings they would have environmental benefits by reducing its CFP. The reuse wood wastes into production of particleboard has the greatest environmental benefit due to temporary carbon storage.


2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
pp. 980 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Rawnsley ◽  
Robyn A. Dynes ◽  
Karen M. Christie ◽  
Matthew Tom Harrison ◽  
Natalie A. Doran-Browne ◽  
...  

Recognition is increasingly given to the need of improving agricultural production and efficiency to meet growing global food demand, while minimising environmental impacts. Livestock forms an important component of global food production and is a significant contributor to anthropogenic greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. As such, livestock production systems (LPS) are coming under increasing pressure to lower their emissions. In developed countries, LPS have been gradually reducing their emissions per unit of product (emissions intensity; EI) over time through improvements in production efficiency. However, the global challenge of reducing net emissions (NE) from livestock requires that the rate of decline in EI surpasses the productivity increases required to satisfy global food demand. Mechanistic and dynamic whole farm-system models can be used to estimate farm-gate GHG emissions and to quantify the likely changes in farm NE, EI, farm productivity and farm profitability as a result of applying various mitigation strategies. Such models are also used to understand the complex interactions at the farm-system level and to account for how component mitigation strategies perform within the complexity of these interactions, which is often overlooked when GHG mitigation research is performed only at the component level. The results of such analyses can be used in extension activities and to encourage adoption, increase awareness and in assisting policy makers. The present paper reviews how whole farm-system modelling has been used to assess GHG mitigation strategies, and the importance of understanding metrics and allocation approaches when assessing GHG emissions from LPS.


2018 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali PRAMONO ◽  
. SADMAKA

Global warming and climate change are the world's major environmental, social and economic problems. The agricultural sector can act as an affected victim, greenhouse gas (GHG) contributor, and GHG absorber. Plantations have a very strategic role in the national action plan in GHG mitigation, because it has a great ability to absorb CO2. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the carbon stocks and GHG emissions from plantation management. The objectivesof the study wereto measure GHG emissions,to determine carbon stocks,and to define adaptation and mitigation strategies on climate change in existing coffee plantation systems. Gas samples were taken from 5 sampling points as replications by closedchamber method. Carbon stock estimation was done by destructive technique, including biomass of understorey and non-wood necromass. The results showed that the coffee plantations less than 10 years-oldat the study sites emitted 47 tons CO2-e/ha/year and stored carbon of 91.4 tons C/ha. Climate change adaptation strategies can be done by the application of good agricultural practices (GAP)andthe use of drought-tolerantclones, mulches,shade trees,multiple cropping systems, silt pitsand biophore techniques. The GHG mitigation can be done by the utilization of plantation waste as a source of organic fertilizer, biochar, animal feed, and bioenergy sources through the development of models of integration crop and livestock systems, as well as rejuvenation of plantation crops to increase carbon sinks and stocks.  [Keywords: climate change, carbon sequestration, coffee plantations] Abstrak Pemanasan global dan perubahan iklim menjadi masalah utama lingkungan, sosial dan ekonomi dunia hingga saat ini. Sektor pertanian dapat berperan sebagai korban terdampak, penyumbang Gas Rumah Kaca (GRK), dan penyerapGRK. Tanaman perkebunan mempunyai posisi sangat strategis dalam rencana aksi nasional di sektor pertanian, karena memiliki kemampuan besar dalam menyerap CO2. Oleh karena itu, pengukuran cadangan karbon dan emisi GRK dari pengelolaan perkebunan perlu dilakukan. Tujuan penelitian adalah untuk mengukur emisi GRK, menentukan cadangan karbon dan menetapkan strategi adaptasi dan mitigasi terhadap perubahan iklim pada sistem perkebunan kopi rakyat eksisting di Propinsi Nusa Tenggara Barat. Pengambilan contoh gas dilakukan di limatitik sampling dengan metode sungkup tertutup. Penghitungan cadangan karbon di atas permukaan tanah dilakukan dengan cara destruktifyang mencakup juga penetapan cadangan karbon biomassatanaman bawah dan biomassaserasah (ne-kromas non kayu). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa perkebunan kopi rakyat yang berumur kurang dari 10 tahun di lokasi penelitianmeng-emisikan karbon sebesar 47 ton CO2-e/ha/tahundan menyimpan cadangankarbon sebesar 91,4ton C/ha. Strategi adaptasi terhadap perubahan iklim dapat dilakukan dengan penerapan praktik Pertanian yang baik/ Good Agricultural Practices(GAP), penggunaan klon tahan kekeringan, penggunaan mulsa organik, pemanfaatanpohon penaungdan sistem tumpang sari, pembuatan rorak dan biopori.Mitigasi GRK dapat dilakukan dengan pemanfaatan limbah tanaman perkebunan sebagai sumber pupukorganik, arang (biochar), pakan ternak, dan sumber bioenergimelalui pengem-bangan model sistem integrasi tanaman dan ternak,serta peremajaan tanaman perkebunan yang sudah menurun produktivitasnya untuk meningkatkan serapan dan cadangankarbon. [Kata kunci :perubahan iklim, sekuestrasi karbon, perkebunan kopi]


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