Climate Clever Beef: options to improve business performance and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in northern Australia

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Bray ◽  
Dionne Walsh ◽  
David Phelps ◽  
Joe Rolfe ◽  
Kiri Broad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Practice Change ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Beef Industry ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Emissions Intensity ◽  
Carbon Economy

The Rangeland Journal – Climate Clever Beef special issue examines options for the beef industry in northern Australia to contribute to the reduction in global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to engage in the carbon economy. Relative to its gross value (A$5 billion), the northern beef industry is responsible for a sizable proportion of national reportable GHG emissions (8–10%) through enteric methane, savanna burning, vegetation clearing and land degradation. The industry occupies large areas of land and has the potential to impact the carbon cycle by sequestering carbon or reducing carbon loss. Furthermore, much of the industry is currently not achieving its productivity potential, which suggests that there are opportunities to improve the emissions intensity of beef production. Improving the industry’s GHG emissions performance is important for its environmental reputation and may benefit individual businesses through improved production efficiency and revenue from the carbon economy. The Climate Clever Beef initiative collaborated with beef businesses in six regions across northern Australia to better understand the links between GHG emissions and carbon stocks, land condition, herd productivity and profitability. The current performance of businesses was measured and alternate management options were identified and evaluated. Opportunities to participate in the carbon economy through the Australian Government’s Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) were also assessed. The initiative achieved significant producer engagement and collaboration resulting in practice change by 78 people from 35 businesses, managing more than 1 272 000 ha and 132 000 cattle. Carbon farming opportunities were identified that could improve both business performance and emissions intensity. However, these opportunities were not without significant risks, trade-offs and limitations particularly in relation to business scale, and uncertainty in carbon price and the response of soil and vegetation carbon sequestration to management. This paper discusses opportunities for reducing emissions, improving emission intensity and carbon sequestration, and outlines the approach taken to achieve beef business engagement and practice change. The paper concludes with some considerations for policy makers.

The effect of earlier mating and improving fertility on greenhouse gas emissions intensity of beef production in northern Australian herds

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 283 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. R. Cullen ◽  
R. J. Eckard ◽  
M. Timms ◽  
D. G. Phelps
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Beef Production ◽  
Beef Industry ◽  
Gross Margin ◽  
Emissions Intensity ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Margin Analysis

Approximately 5% of Australian national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are derived from the northern beef industry. Improving the reproductive performance of cows has been identified as a key target for increasing profitability, and this higher efficiency is also likely to reduce the GHG emissions intensity of beef production. The effects of strategies to increase the fertility of breeding herds and earlier joining of heifers as yearlings were studied on two properties at Longreach and Boulia in western Queensland. The beef production, GHG emissions, emissions intensity and profitability were investigated and compared with typical management in the two regions. Overall weaning rates achieved on the two properties were 79% and 74% compared with typical herd weaning rates of 58% in both regions. Herds with high reproductive performance had GHG emissions intensities (t CO2-e t–1 liveweight sold) 28% and 22% lower than the typical herds at Longreach and Boulia, with most of the benefit from higher weaning rates. Farm gross margin analysis showed that it was more profitable, by $62 000 at Longreach and $38 000 at Boulia, to utilise higher reproductive performance to increase the amount of liveweight sold with the same number of adult equivalents compared with reducing the number of adult equivalents to maintain the same level of liveweight sold and claiming a carbon credit for lower farm emissions. These gains achieved at two case study properties which had different rainfall, country types, and property sizes suggest similar improvements can be made on-farm across the Mitchell Grass Downs bioregion of northern Australia.

Greenhouse gas budget of an extensively managed grassland on drained peat soil in the Irish Midlands

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marine Valmier ◽  
Matthew Saunders ◽  
Gary Lanigan
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Source ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Organic Soils ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Sink Strength ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Peat Soils ◽  
Sequestration Potential ◽  
Sink Capacity

<p>Grassland-based agriculture in Ireland contributes over one third of national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and the LULUCF sector is a net GHG source primarily due to the ongoing drainage of peat soils. Rewetting of peat-based organic soils is now recognised as an attractive climate mitigation strategy, but reducing emissions and restoring the carbon sequestration potential is challenging, and is not always feasible notably due to agricultural demands. Nonetheless, reducing carbon losses from drained organic soils has been identified as a key action for Ireland to reach its climate targets, and carbon storage associated with improved grassland management practices can provide a suitable strategy to offset GHG emissions without compromising productivity. However, research is still needed to assess the best practices and management options for optimum environmental and production outcomes. While grasslands have been widely studied internationally, data on organic soils under this land use are still scarce. In Ireland, despite their spatial extent and relevance to the national emission inventories and mitigation strategies, only two studies on GHG emissions from grasslands on peat soils have been published.</p><p>Here we present results from a grassland on a drained organic soil that is extensively managed for silage production in the Irish midlands. Continuous monitoring of Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) of carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) using eddy covariance techniques, and weekly static chamber measurements to assess soil derived emissions of methane (CH<sub>4</sub>) and nitrous oxide (N<sub>2</sub>O) started in 2020. The seasonal CO<sub>2</sub> fluxes observed were greatly dependent on weather conditions and management events. The grassland shifted from a carbon source at the beginning of the year to a sink during the growing season, with carbon uptakes in April and May ranging from 15 to 40 µmol CO<sub>2</sub> m<sup>-2</sup> s<sup>-1</sup> and releases in the order of 5 µmol CO<sub>2</sub> m<sup>-2</sup> s<sup>-1</sup>. Following the first harvest event in early June, approximately 2.5 t C ha<sup>-1</sup> was exported, and the sink capacity took around one month to recover, with an average NEE of 10 µmol CO<sub>2</sub> m<sup>-2</sup> s<sup>-1</sup> during that period. Carbon uptake then reached a maximum of 25 µmol CO<sub>2</sub> m<sup>-2</sup> s<sup>-1</sup> in August. After the second cut in mid-September, which corresponded to an export of 2.25 t.ha<sup>-1</sup> of carbon, the grassland acted once again as a strong carbon source, losing almost 30 g C m<sup>-2</sup> in a month, before stabilising and behaving as an overall small source during the winter period.</p><p>In summary, this grassland demonstrated high rates of carbon assimilation and productivity that translate in a strong carbon sink capacity highly dependent on the management. The biomass harvest is a major component of the annual budget that has the potential to shift the system to a net carbon source. Moreover, while initial measurements of CH<sub>4</sub> and N<sub>2</sub>O fluxes appeared to be negligible, some management events were not assessed due to national COVID 19 restrictions on movement, which might have impacted the sink strength of the site studied.</p>

Climate change mitigation for agriculture: water quality benefits and costs

2008 ◽  
Vol 58 (11) ◽  
pp. 2093-2099 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Wilcock ◽  
Sandy Elliott ◽  
Neale Hudson ◽  
Stephanie Parkyn ◽  
John Quinn
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Habitat Quality ◽  
Waste Treatment ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Nitrification Inhibitors ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Management Options

New Zealand is unique in that half of its national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory derives from agriculture - predominantly as methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), in a 2:1 ratio. The remaining GHG emissions predominantly comprise carbon dioxide (CO2) deriving from energy and industry sources. Proposed strategies to mitigate emissions of CH4 and N2O from pastoral agriculture in New Zealand are: (1) utilising extensive and riparian afforestation of pasture to achieve CO2 uptake (carbon sequestration); (2) management of nitrogen through budgeting and/or the use of nitrification inhibitors, and minimizing soil anoxia to reduce N2O emissions; and (3) utilisation of alternative waste treatment technologies to minimise emissions of CH4. These mitigation measures have associated co-benefits and co-costs (disadvantages) for rivers, streams and lakes because they affect land use, runoff loads, and receiving water and habitat quality. Extensive afforestation results in lower specific yields (exports) of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), suspended sediment (SS) and faecal matter and also has benefits for stream habitat quality by improving stream temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH regimes through greater shading, and the supply of woody debris and terrestrial food resources. Riparian afforestation does not achieve the same reductions in exports as extensive afforestation but can achieve reductions in concentrations of N, P, SS and faecal organisms. Extensive afforestation of pasture leads to reduced water yields and stream flows. Both afforestation measures produce intermittent disturbances to waterways during forestry operations (logging and thinning), resulting in sediment release from channel re-stabilisation and localised flooding, including formation of debris dams at culverts. Soil and fertiliser management benefits aquatic ecosystems by reducing N exports but the use of nitrification inhibitors, viz. dicyandiamide (DCD), to achieve this may under some circumstances impair wetland function to intercept and remove nitrate from drainage water, or even add to the overall N loading to waterways. DCD is water soluble and degrades rapidly in warm soil conditions. The recommended application rate of 10 kg DCD/ha corresponds to 6 kg N/ha and may be exceeded in warm climates. Of the N2O produced by agricultural systems, approximately 30% is emitted from indirect sources, which are waterways draining agriculture. It is important therefore to focus strategies for managing N inputs to agricultural systems generally to reduce inputs to wetlands and streams where these might be reduced to N2O. Waste management options include utilizing the CH4 resource produced in farm waste treatment ponds as a source of energy, with conversion to CO2 via combustion achieving a 21-fold reduction in GHG emissions. Both of these have co-benefits for waterways as a result of reduced loadings. A conceptual model derived showing the linkages between key land management practices for greenhouse gas mitigation and key waterway values and ecosystem attributes is derived to aid resource managers making decisions affecting waterways and atmospheric GHG emissions.

The Drivers of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Intensity Improvements in Major Economies: Analysis of Trends 1995–2009

2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 277-297
Author(s):  
Madanmohan Ghosh ◽  
Deming Luo ◽  
Muhammad Shahid Siddiqui ◽  
Thomas Rutherford ◽  
Yunfa Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Aggregate Production ◽  
Developed Economies ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Emissions Intensity ◽  
Global Emissions ◽  
Structural Shifts

This article analyses the trends in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity over the period 1995–2009 in a mix of developing and developed economies that account for almost two-thirds of global emissions. From the accounting point of view, it distinguishes between the production-based emissions (PBEs) and consumption or demand-based emissions (DBEs). Several studies find that while PBEs in many developed economies during the last decades have stabilised, the DBEs are on the rise. Understanding the relative influence of various factors that have shaped the different patterns of emissions growth can provide us with important policy insights for controlling GHG emissions. The article undertakes a decomposition exercise to understand the variations/fluctuations in both PBEs and DBEs intensities due to changes in technology and changes in economic structure (i.e., composition of aggregate production and final consumption). The main findings of this article are that, over the period 1995–2009, technological change has been the key driver of emissions intensity improvements in both PBEs and DBEs. Emissions intensity improvements in consumption activities have been slower than production, particularly in EU 27. Structural changes or changes in the composition of aggregate production and demand have relatively smaller contribution in overall intensity improvement. Structural shifts in the economy have somewhat negatively contributed to emissions intensity improvements in Canada and China. In India, structural shifts in both production and consumption activities have contributed significantly to emissions intensity improvements. When taking account of trade, changes in the sources of imports have worked against overall emissions intensity improvements, particularly in the developed economies of Canada, European Union (EU 27) and USA, where imports from relatively emissions intensive sources have increased during the period. JEL: D58, Q56, O13

A Changing Dynamic: The Need for Collaboration on Talent Development and Climate Change in the E&P Industry

2007 ◽  
Vol 01 (03) ◽  
pp. 05-10
Author(s):  
_ Talent & Technology
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Talent Development ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Critical Issues

Feature - In late June, 2007 SPE President Abdul-Jaleel Al-Khalifa hosted an executive industry wide summit with 75 global leaders to advance cross-sector collaboration on two critical issues facing the oil and gas industry. Talent scarcity has been a pressing and recurring item on company agendas for several years. On the technology front, the heightened focus on climate change and greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions from fossil fuels is expected to influence many areas including media, legislation, and policymaking. The oil and gas industry has been actively involved in various technology projects to promote carbon sequestration. The summit provided a venue to frame and boost an industry position on this critical and widely publicized subject.

Food waste in campus dining operations: Inventory of pre- and post-consumer mass by food category, and estimation of embodied greenhouse gas emissions

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 191-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Costello ◽  
Esma Birisci ◽  
Ronald G. McGarvey
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Capital Investments ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Food Category ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
University Of Missouri

AbstractThere are many economic, social and environmental reasons to reduce the occurrence of food that is wasted. As communities consider options for managing their food waste streams, an understanding of the volume, composition and variability of these streams is needed to inform the decision-making process and potentially justify the capital investments needed for separation and treatment operations. This more detailed inventory also allows for the estimation of embodied resources in food that is wasted, demonstrated herein for greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). Pre- and post-consumer food waste was collected from four all-you-care-to-eat Campus Dining Services (CDS) facilities at the University of Missouri, Columbia over 3 months in 2014. During the study period approximately 246.3 metric tons (t) of food reached the retail level at the four facilities. 232.4 t of this food was served and 13.9 t of it (10.1 t of edible and 3.8 t of inedible), was lost as pre-consumer waste. Over the same time period, an estimated 26.4 t of post-consumer food waste was generated at these facilities, 21.2 t of the waste edible and 5.3 t of it inedible. Overall, 5.6% of food reaching the retail level was lost at the pre-consumer stage and 10.7% was lost at the post-consumer stage. Out of the food categories examined, ‘fruits and vegetables’ constituted the largest source of food waste by weight, with grains as the second largest source of food waste by weight. GHGs embodied in edible food waste were calculated. Over the study period an estimated 11.1 t CO2e (100-yr) were embodied in the pre-consumer food waste and 56.1 t were embodied in post-consumer food waste for a total of 67.2 t. The ‘meat and protein’ category represents the largest embodiment of GHG emissions in both the pre- and post-consumer categories despite ranking fourth in total weight. Beef represents the largest contribution to post-consumer GHG emissions embodied in food waste with an estimated 34.1 t CO2e. This distinction between the greatest sources of food waste by weight and the greatest sources of GHG emissions is relevant when considering alternative management options for food waste.

Greenhouse gas emissions intensity of Ontario milk production in 2011 compared with 1991

2014 ◽  
Vol 94 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susantha Jayasundara ◽  
Claudia Wagner-Riddle
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Manure Management ◽  
Enteric Fermentation ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Emissions Intensity ◽  
Feed Crop

Jayasundara, S. and Wagner-Riddle, C. 2014. Greenhouse gas emissions intensity of Ontario milk production in 2011 compared with 1991. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 94: 155–173. For identifying opportunities for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from milk production in Ontario, this study analyzed GHG intensity of milk [kg CO2 equivalents kg−1 fat and protein corrected milk (FPCM)] in 2011 compared with 1991 considering cow and crop productivity improvements and management changes over this period. It also assessed within-province variability in GHG intensity of milk in 2011 using county-level data related to milk production. After allocating whole-farm GHG emissions between milk and meat using an allocation factor calculated according to the International Dairy Federation equation, GHG intensity of Ontario milk was 1.03 kgCO2eq kg−1 FPCM in 2011, 22% lower than that in 1991 (1.32 kg CO2eq kg−1 FPCM). Greenhouse gas sources directly associated with dairy cattle decreased less (21 and 14% for enteric fermentation and manure management, respectively) than sources associated with feed crop production (30 to 34% for emissions related to N inputs and farm-field work). Proportions of GHG contributed from different life cycle activities did not change, with enteric fermentation contributing 46%, feed crop production 34%, manure management 18% and milking and related activities 2%. Within province, GHG intensity varied from 0.89 to 1.36 kg CO2eq kg−1 FPCM, a variation inversely correlated with milk productivity per cow (kg FPCM sold cow−1 year−1). The existence of a wide variation is strong indication for potential further reductions in GHG intensity of Ontario milk through the identification of practices associated with high efficiency.

scholarly journals Hydroponic fodder and greenhouse gas emissions: a potential avenue for climate mitigation strategy and policy development

FACETS ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 334-357
Author(s):  
Robert Newell ◽  
Lenore Newman ◽  
Mathew Dickson ◽  
Bill Vanderkooi ◽  
Tim Fernback ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Sequestration Potential ◽  
Hydroponic Systems

This research explores the potential hydroponic systems have for contributing to climate mitigation in fodder agriculture. Using British Columbia (BC) and Alberta as case studies, the study compares greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and carbon sequestration potential of hydroponically grown sprouted barley fodder to conventional barley grain fodder. GHG emissions were examined through scenarios that assumed Alberta to be the main barley producer, while exploring different situations of BC and Alberta as consumers, distributed/centralized hydroponic systems, and renewable/nonrenewable energy. Carbon sequestration opportunities were examined through scenarios that explored the land sparing potential of transitioning from conventional to hydroponic barley and shifts from tillage to no-tillage practices. Sensitivity analyses were done to examine how changes in hydroponic seed-to-fodder output and energy consumption affect the systems’ climate mitigation potential. The results indicated that incorporating hydroponic systems into barley production has the potential to reduce GHG emissions, given seed-to-fodder output and energy consumption are maintained at certain levels and the systems are powered by renewable energy. Results also showed that hydroponic farming can provide greater carbon sequestration opportunities than simply shifting to no-tillage farming. The research indicates that hydroponic fodder farming could contribute to climate mitigation objectives if complemented with effective energy and land use policies.

scholarly journals The greenhouse gas impacts of converting food production in England and Wales to organic methods

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence G. Smith ◽  
Guy J. D. Kirk ◽  
Philip J. Jones ◽  
Adrian G. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Organic Farming ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Soil Carbon Sequestration ◽  
England And Wales ◽  
Reduce Emissions ◽  
Farm Inputs

Abstract Agriculture is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and must feature in efforts to reduce emissions. Organic farming might contribute to this through decreased use of farm inputs and increased soil carbon sequestration, but it might also exacerbate emissions through greater food production elsewhere to make up for lower organic yields. To date there has been no rigorous assessment of this potential at national scales. Here we assess the consequences for net GHG emissions of a 100% shift to organic food production in England and Wales using life-cycle assessment. We predict major shortfalls in production of most agricultural products against a conventional baseline. Direct GHG emissions are reduced with organic farming, but when increased overseas land use to compensate for shortfalls in domestic supply are factored in, net emissions are greater. Enhanced soil carbon sequestration could offset only a small part of the higher overseas emissions.

scholarly journals The Effects of System Changes in Grazed Dairy Farmlet Trials on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Animals ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tony van der Weerden ◽  
Pierre Beukes ◽  
Cecile de Klein ◽  
Kathryn Hutchinson ◽  
Lydia Farrell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Current System ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
N2o Emissions ◽  
System Changes ◽  
Emissions Intensity

An important challenge facing the New Zealand (NZ) dairy industry is development of production systems that can maintain or increase production and profitability, while reducing impacts on receiving environments including water and air. Using research ‘farmlets’ in Waikato, Canterbury, and Otago (32–200 animals per herd), we assessed if system changes aimed at reducing nitrate leaching can also reduce total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (methane and nitrous oxide) and emissions intensity (kg GHG per unit of product) by comparing current and potential ‘improved’ dairy systems. Annual average GHG emissions for each system were estimated for three or four years using calculations based on the New Zealand Agricultural Inventory Methodology, but included key farmlet-specific emission factors determined from regional experiments. Total annual GHG footprints ranged between 10,800 kg and 20,600 kg CO2e/ha, with emissions strongly related to the amount of feed eaten. Methane (CH4) represented 75% to 84% of the total GHG footprint across all modelled systems, with enteric CH4 from lactating cows grazing pasture being the major source. Excreta deposition onto paddocks was the largest source of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, representing 7–12% of the total GHG footprint for all systems. When total emissions were represented on an intensity basis, ‘improved’ systems are predicted to generally result in lower emissions intensity. The ‘improved’ systems had lower GHG footprints than the ‘current’ system, except for one of the ‘improved’ systems in Canterbury, which had a higher stocking rate. The lower feed supplies and associated lower stocking rates of the ‘improved’ systems were the key drivers of lower total GHG emissions in all three regions. ‘Improved’ systems designed to reduced N leaching generally also reduced GHG emissions.

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