05.04.2018
Category: Beef and Sheep
By: Claus Deblitz

Can we reduce greenhouse gas emissions and remain profitable at the same time?


argentinian feedlot

Feedlots became more important in Argentina and represent now approximately 50 percent of all finished cattle

crossbread

Crossbreeding with continental breeds is an important activity to improve productivity in Morocco

Agriculture has been identified as a contributor to global GHG emissions. In beef production methane emissions from enteric fermentation of ruminants are in the focus. Production systems with relatively low productivity, as they are often found in developing and emerging countries, appear to have a particular high potential to reduce GHG emissions.

Studies on mitigation of GHG often focus on technical aspects but ignore the economic implications of such interventions. As a consequence, this project evaluated GHG-mitigation strategies in Argentina, Colombia and Morocco from a production system and an economic perspective. The FAO-funded project was part of a greater project and also looked at GHG-mitigation potentials. In all case studies, a reference system (= baseline = status quo = business as usual) was identified and specified and then one or more scenarios with the potential for lower GHG-emissions was identified, specified and quantified.

In all cases, the scenarios included an increase of productivity per hectare and per animal. All these steps were performed in close cooperation with the together with the local agri benchmark partners. ·          

  • In Argentina, two alternative practices (silage and feedlot) were identified in place of a mainly grazing-based system of cow-calf and beef finishing on pasture (the baseline). ·          
  • The Colombian baseline situation represents a traditional, extensive cattle grazing system with degraded pasture quality and a relatively low stocking rate. Silvopastoral production systems (SPS) in Colombia have demonstrated the potential to increase cattle productivity while making a more efficient use of natural resources. ·          
  • In Morocco, instead of the traditional subsistence production system (2 heads of local breeds per farm), two mitigation options have been adopted based on the genetic improvement of local breeds and improved feeding practices. The more productive breeds are Piedmontese X local breed and Charolais X Holstein.

The introduced scenarios in all three case studies illustrated notable increases in daily weight gains (by about 50 percent, 100 percent and 80 percent for the Argentinean, Colombian and Moroccan scenarios, respectively) compared to the relevant baselines. Thus, by improving physical productivity, the alternative practices reduced emissions on a per 100 kg meat sold.

Except the feedlot scenario in Argentina, all scenarios generated lower emissions for each 100 kg of meat added. The higher GHG emission in the Argentinean feedlot is mainly due to the backgrounding interval on pasture where animals are kept as long as there is surplus grass before finishing them in the feedlots. So, the animals enter the feedlot at relatively high age with a relatively low weight.

A comprehensive report by FAO is expected in the second quarter of 2018.


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