scholarly journals Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Dairy Goat Farming Systems: Abatement Potential and Cost

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 945
Author(s):  
Alexandra Sintori ◽  
Irene Tzouramani ◽  
Angelos Liontakis
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Abatement Cost ◽  
Marginal Abatement Cost ◽  
Dairy Goat ◽  
Agricultural Activity ◽  
Economic Optimization ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Goat Farming

Dairy goat farming is an important agricultural activity in the Mediterranean region. In Greece the activity offers occupation and income to thousands of families mainly located in mountainous and semi-mountainous areas of the country where it utilizes low productivity pastures and shrub lands. Furthermore, goats are more resilient to climate changes compared to other species, and are often characterized as ideal for keeping in drought areas. However, there is still limited evidence on total greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted from goat farms and their mitigation potential. In this context, this study aims to estimate GHG emissions of goat farms in Greece and explore their abatement options using an economic optimization model. Three case studies are explored i.e., an extensive, a semi-intensive and an intensive goat farm that correspond to the main goat production systems identified in Greece. The analysis aims to assess total GHGs as well as the impact of abatement on the structures, gross margins and labor inputs of the farms under investigation. The issue of the marginal abatement cost is also addressed. The results indicate that the extensive farm causes higher emissions/kg of milk produced (4.08 kg CO2-eq) compared to the semi-intensive and intensive farms (2.04 kg and 1.82 kg of CO2-equivelants, respectively). The results also emphasize the higher marginal abatement cost of the intensive farm. In all farm types, abatement is achieved primarily through the reduction of the livestock capital and secondarily by other appropriate farming practices, like substitution of purchased feed with homegrown feed.

scholarly journals Agricultural subsidies and global greenhouse gas emissions

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Laborde ◽  
Abdullah Mamun ◽  
Will Martin ◽  
Valeria Piñeiro ◽  
Rob Vos
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Consumer Prices ◽  
High Emission ◽  
The Government ◽  
Agriculture And Food ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Global Emissions

AbstractAgricultural production is strongly affected by and a major contributor to climate change. Agriculture and land-use change account for a quarter of total global emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). Agriculture receives around US$600 billion per year worldwide in government support. No rigorous quantification of the impact of this support on GHG emissions has been available. This article helps fill the void. Here, we find that, while over the years the government support has incentivized the development of high-emission farming systems, at present, the support only has a small impact in terms of inducing additional global GHG emissions from agricultural production; partly because support is not systematically biased towards high-emission products, and partly because support generated by trade protection reduces demand for some high-emission products by raising their consumer prices. Substantially reducing GHG emissions from agriculture while safeguarding food security requires a more comprehensive revamping of existing support to agriculture and food consumption.

On the Impact of Innovation on the Marginal Abatement Cost Curve

2008 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 985-1010 ◽  
Author(s):  
RABAH AMIR ◽  
MARC GERMAIN ◽  
VINCENT VAN STEENBERGHE
Keyword(s):  
Abatement Cost ◽  
Marginal Abatement Cost ◽  
Cost Curve ◽  
Marginal Abatement Cost Curve ◽  
The Impact

Effect of wheat varieties and growth regulators on soil greenhouse gas emissions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elsbe von der Lancken ◽  
Victoria Nasser ◽  
Katharina Hey ◽  
Stefan Siebert ◽  
Ana Meijide
Keyword(s):  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Grain Yield ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Growth Regulators ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Closed Chamber ◽  
Wheat Varieties ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Modern Varieties

<p>The need to sustain global food demand while mitigating greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions is a challenge for agricultural production systems. Since the reduction of GHGs has never been a breeding target, it is still unclear to which extend different crop varieties will affect GHG emissions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of N-fertilization and of the use of growth regulators applied to three historical and three modern varieties of winter wheat on the emissions of the three most important anthropogenic GHGs, i.e. carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>), methane (CH<sub>4</sub>) and nitrous oxide (N<sub>2</sub>O). Furthermore, we aimed at identifying which combination of cultivars and management practises could mitigate GHG emissions in agricultural systems without compromising the yield. GHG measurements were performed using the closed chamber method in a field experiment located in Göttingen (Germany) evaluating three historical and three modern winter wheat varieties, with or without growth regulators under two fertilization levels (120 and 240 kg nitrogen ha<sup>-1</sup>). GHG measurements were carried out for 2 weeks following the third nitrogen fertilizer application (where one third of the total nitrogen was applied), together with studies on the evolution of mineral nitrogen and dissolved organic carbon in the soil. Modern varieties showed significantly higher CO<sub>2</sub> emissions (i.e. soil and plant respiration; +23 %) than historical varieties. The soils were found to be a sink for CH<sub>4,</sub> but CH<sub>4</sub> fluxes were not affected by the different treatments. N<sub>2</sub>O emissions were not significantly influenced by the variety age or by the growth regulators, and emissions increased with increasing fertilization level. The global warming potential (GWP) for the modern varieties was 7284.0 ± 266.9 kg CO<sub>2-eq</sub> ha<sup>-1</sup>. Even though the GWP was lower for the historic varieties (5939.5 ± 238.2 kg CO<sub>2</sub>-<sub>eq</sub> ha<sup>-1</sup>), their greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI), which relates GHG and crop yield, was larger (1.5 ± 0.3 g CO<sub>2</sub>-<sub>eq</sub> g<sup>-1</sup> grain), compared to the GHGI of modern varieties (0.9 ± 0.0 g CO<sub>2</sub>-<sub>eq</sub> g<sup>-1</sup> grain), due to the much lower grain yield in the historic varieties. Our results suggest that in order to mitigate GHG emissions without compromising the grain yield, the best management practise is to use modern high yielding varieties with growth regulators and a fertilization scheme according to the demand of the crop.</p>

scholarly journals Marginal Abatement Cost Curves for Water Scarcity Mitigation under Uncertainty

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (12) ◽  
pp. 4335-4349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Sjöstrand ◽  
Andreas Lindhe ◽  
Tore Söderqvist ◽  
Peter Dahlqvist ◽  
Lars Rosén
Keyword(s):  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Abatement Cost ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Marginal Abatement Cost ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Cost Curve ◽  
Effective Measure ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Cost Curves ◽  
The Impact

Abstract As water scarcity and drought become more common, planning to avoid their consequences becomes crucial. Measures to prevent the impact of new climate conditions are expected to be extensive, costly and associated with major uncertainties. It is therefore necessary that policymakers and practitioners in both the public and private sector can compare possible mitigation measures in order to make economically rational investment decisions. For this to be successful, decision-makers need relevant decision support. This paper presents a novel approach of constructing marginal abatement cost curves for comparing water scarcity mitigation measures while taking the underlying uncertainties into account. Uncertainties in input variables are represented by probability distributions and calculations are performed using Monte Carlo simulations. This approach is applied on the island of Gotland, one of the most water-stressed parts of Sweden, to provide the first marginal abatement cost curve in Europe for water scarcity mitigation in which municipal, agricultural, industrial and household measures are compared. The results show that the agricultural measure of on-farm storage has the greatest potential to increase water availability on the island. Among municipal measures, increased groundwater extraction and desalination offer the greatest potential, although desalination is almost 25 times more costly per cubic meter. The most cost-effective measure is linked to hot water savings in the hotel industry. The approach presented provides a quantitative visualization of the financial trade-offs and uncertainties implied by different mitigation measures. It provides critical economic insights for all parties concerned and is thus an important basis for decision-making.

scholarly journals A Study of the Feasibility of International ETS Cooperation between Shanghai and Korea from Environmental Efficiency and CO2 Marginal Abatement Cost Perspectives

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (16) ◽  
pp. 4468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Qi ◽  
Yongrok Choi
Keyword(s):  
Power Plants ◽  
Stochastic Frontier Analysis ◽  
Market Price ◽  
Abatement Cost ◽  
Environmental Efficiency ◽  
Marginal Abatement Cost ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Frontier Analysis ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Feed In Tariff

With the worldwide spread of emissions trading schemes (ETSs) and the need for international cooperation on climate change, there is growing interest in linking ETSs. Along with sustainable development, preventing and controlling pollution, is now regarded as an urgent priority by China and Korea. In the context of the willingness of the Chinese and Korean governments to cooperate on ETS, this paper examines the feasibility of a pilot ETS cooperation between Shanghai and Korea from environmental efficiency and CO2 marginal abatement cost (MAC) perspectives. We apply a directional distance function (DDF) and stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) to estimate the environmental efficiency and the CO2 MAC of coal-fueled power plants in Shanghai and Korea using cross-sectional data from 2015. The results indicate that the group frontier environmental efficiency of Shanghai and Korea reached a similarly high score. However, as to meta-frontier environmental efficiency, the coal-fueled power plants in Korea performed better than those in Shanghai. The CO2 MAC results indicate that, despite the small gap in efficiency performance, the CO2 MAC of coal-fueled power plants is much higher than that in Shanghai due to the big feed-in tariff difference. This is because the MAC not only relates to the environmental efficiency, but also to the feed-in tariff. A higher feed-in tariff leads to higher MAC. To tackle this serious problem, which has also been addressed in previous studies, we suggest that policymakers should focus on the huge CO2 MAC differences caused by feed-in tariff differences to avoid equity problems when building the structure of the Shanghai-Korea ETS cooperation. For instance, compared with power plants in Shanghai, policymakers should set a looser cap and a higher offset for Korean plants. To reduce the impact of feed-in tariff on carbon trading in the market, it would also be effective to arrange a higher quota or a lower carbon tax for coal-fueled power plants in Korea. In addition, policymakers should fill the gaps of 85.15% and 67.6% between the realistic market price and the MAC results of coal-fueled power plants in Shanghai and Korea, respectively, by introducing stricter regulations.

Climate Change and Sustainable Development in Agriculture and Forestry

2013 ◽  
pp. 18-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vesna Popović ◽  
Nada Mijajlović
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Adaptive Capacity ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Danube Basin ◽  
Mitigation Potential ◽  
Local Impacts ◽  
The Impact

Although climate change is a global process, its local impacts are diverse. Existing agro-ecological conditions, structure of production, various production systems, technological development, socio-economic factors, and international competition and policy choices will determine the impact that climate change will have on the agricultural and forestry sectors and their adaptive capacity and mitigation potential. The authors use the Danube basin area in Serbia as a case study to test the hypothesis that only sustainable agriculture, based on optimum balance of different types of farming systems and practices and satisfying a range of the region’s specific ecological, social, and economic functions, as well as sustainable forestry, can cope successfully with the climate change. The main topics of the analysis are the climate change trends and impacts on agriculture and forestry and the assessment of their adaptive capacity and mitigation potential, including the proposition of relevant adaptation and mitigation measures.

169 Estimating the Environmental Impact of Livestock Operations Using the Canadian Whole-farm Model Holos Developed for Canadian Farmers

2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 90-90
Author(s):  
Roland Kroebel ◽  
Aklilu Alemu ◽  
Sarah Pogue ◽  
Aaron McPherson
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Emission Factors ◽  
Farm Management ◽  
Dairy Production ◽  
Management Information ◽  
Tier Ii ◽  
Farm Model ◽  
Ruminant Animals

Abstract The Holos model is a Canadian whole-farm model that uses IPCC Tier II emission factors to calculate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from Canadian farming systems. These Tier II emission factors are Canada-specific with respect to land-based nitrous oxide emission, but are universal with respect to the livestock calculation. Here, however, Tier II is limited to ruminant animals, as so far only Tier I models are available for monogastrics. The model is designed to permit farmers to enter readily available farm management information themselves in order to calculate GHG sources and management driven mitigation practices. The presentation will provide an overview of the model and its design (interface and algorithms), and will showcase some of the scientific studies (cradle-to-farmgate) that were accomplished using the Holos model for assessing the carbon footprint of Canadian beef and dairy production systems.

Climate Change and Sustainable Development in Agriculture and Forestry

2013 ◽  
pp. 140-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vesna Popovic ◽  
Nada Mijajlovic
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Adaptive Capacity ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Danube Basin ◽  
Mitigation Potential ◽  
Local Impacts ◽  
The Impact

Although climate change is a global process, its local impacts are diverse. Existing agro-ecological conditions, structure of production, various production systems, technological development, socio-economic factors, and international competition and policy choices will determine the impact that climate change will have on the agricultural and forestry sectors and their adaptive capacity and mitigation potential. The authors use the Danube basin area in Serbia as a case study to test the hypothesis that only sustainable agriculture, based on optimum balance of different types of farming systems and practices and satisfying a range of the region’s specific ecological, social, and economic functions, as well as sustainable forestry, can cope successfully with the climate change. The main topics of the analysis are the climate change trends and impacts on agriculture and forestry and the assessment of their adaptive capacity and mitigation potential, including the proposition of relevant adaptation and mitigation measures.

Life-cycle assessment of the intensity of production on the greenhouse gas emissions and economics of grass-based suckler beef production systems

2013 ◽  
Vol 151 (5) ◽  
pp. 714-726 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. CLARKE ◽  
P. BRENNAN ◽  
P. CROSSON
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Economic Performance ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Bioeconomic Model ◽  
Fertilizer N ◽  
Beef Production ◽  
N Application ◽  
Application Rates ◽  
The Impact

SUMMARYIn Ireland, the largest contributor of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is agriculture. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the impact of stocking intensities of beef cattle production systems on technical and economic performance and GHG emissions. A bioeconomic model of Irish suckler beef production systems was used to generate scenarios and to evaluate their technical and economic performance. To model the impact of each scenario on GHG emissions, the output of the bioeconomic model was used as an inventory analysis in a life-cycle assessment model and various GHG emission factors were integrated with the production profile. All the estimated GHG emissions were converted to their 100-year global warming potential carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). The scenarios modelled were bull/heifer and steer/heifer suckler beef production systems at varying stocking intensities. According to policy constraints, stocking intensities were based on the excretion of organic nitrogen (N), which varied depending on animal category. Stocking intensity was increased by increasing fertilizer N application rates. Carcass output and profitability increased with increasing stocking intensity. At a stocking intensity of 150 kg N/ha total emissions were lowest when expressed per kg of beef carcass (20·1 kg CO2e/kg beef) and per hectare (9·2 tCO2e/ha) in the bull/heifer system. Enteric fermentation was the greatest source of GHG emissions and ranged from 0·49 to 0·47 of total emissions with increasing stocking intensity for both production systems. The current study shows that increasing stocking intensity via increased fertilizer N application rates leads to increased profitability on beef farms with only modest increases in GHG emissions.

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