Sustainable intensification of Brazilian livestock production through optimized pasture restoration

Silva, Rafael de Oliveira; Barioni, L. G.; Hall, Julian; Moretti, Antônio Carlos; Veloso, R. F.; Alexander, Peter; Crespolini, Mariane; Moran, Dominic

doi:10.1016/j.agsy.2017.02.001

Cited by 88 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…For the extensive livestock production system (ELPS), data from pasturing farms in Brazil was taken whilst for the semi‐intensive livestock production system (SLPS) data from German farms specialized in fattening young bulls raised indoors was used. In the case of the intensive livestock production system (ILPS), an example from the United States was taken considering a vertical integrated feedlot system where calves are first fed on grassland and later finished in feedlots with high energy diets . These livestock production systems are representative of the currents practices in Europe and the Americas, where the countries with the highest exportation of animal blood components for medical purposes in the world are found…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the case of the intensive livestock production system (ILPS), an example from the United States was taken considering a vertical integrated feedlot system where calves are first fed on grassland and later finished in feedlots with high energy diets. [26][27][28] These livestock production systems are representative of the currents practices in Europe and the Americas, where the countries with the highest exportation of animal blood components for medical purposes in the world are found. 29 Below a summary of the background level data sources (due to confidentially, a detailed list cannot be disclosed):…”

Section: Data Inventory and Quality Determinationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Environmental sustainability assessment of the manufacturing process of a biological active pharmaceutical ingredient

Gamiz

Soete

Heirman

et al. 2019

J of Chemical Tech & Biotech

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BACKGROUND Although the biopharmaceutical market grows rapidly, the environmental impacts of biopharmaceutical manufacturing have been hardly evaluated. The aim of the study is to comprehensively assess the environmental sustainability of a biologically‐produced active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing process. For this purpose, an exergy analysis and an (exergetic) life cycle assessment were performed using primary (foreground system) and modeled data (background system). Infliximab, a monoclonal antibody, was considered. RESULTS The fermentation and its raw materials' supply chain was determined to have the highest environmental impact, since the culture media requires chemicals and complex compounds such as animal‐derived materials (ADMs). The total impact per 100 mg of API produced ranged between 18.6 and 101.8 MJex and 2.0–3.1 kg CO2‐eq, mainly as a function of the ADMs' source. A comparison of infliximab and ustekinumab, a biopharmaceutical produced without ADMs, showed that eliminating these materials can reduce the cumulative resource consumption of monoclonal antibody manufacturing by up to 7.5 times. The fermentation is the process taking the longest and the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system which support fermentation areas consumes approximately 75% of all plant electricity use. CONCLUSIONS Culture media nutrients and cleanroom requirements are driving factors in the environmental impact of biological API manufacturing. Obtaining more precise data of the bioprocesses behind these nutrients' supply chain is crucial to corroborating this study's results. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Data Inventory and Quality Determinationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental sustainability assessment of the manufacturing process of a biological active pharmaceutical ingredient

Gamiz

Soete

Heirman

et al. 2019

J of Chemical Tech & Biotech

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The economic analysis provided here did not include conversion costs associated with different management options. These could influence the relative economic feasibility of each agricultural system in the short-term, especially if the area is degraded [30]. However, such information would add extra uncertainty given the wide range of existing capitalization (fences and machinery) present on extensively managed cattle ranches.…”

Section: The Value and Limitations Of Whole-farm Modeling In Mato Grossomentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One challenge is the limited number of farms that have adopted the same system consistently over time, which inhibits statistically robust analysis. Modeling simulations and life cycle assessments have been used to estimate the impacts of improved cattle systems on climate and land use in Brazil [30][31][32], but did not investigate the economic and environmental impacts of each system under different stocking rates or future climate scenarios. Without such a comprehensive comparison between different agricultural systems, intensity levels, and sensitivity to climate change, it is difficult to infer about their relative, long-run advantage or identify which practices can contribute the most to the sustainability and resilience of food production under climate change.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tradeoffs in the quest for climate smart agricultural intensification in Mato Grosso, Brazil

Gil

Garrett

Rotz

et al. 2018

Environ. Res. Lett.

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Low productivity cattle ranching, with its linkages to rural poverty, deforestation and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, remains one of the largest sustainability challenges in Brazil and has impacts worldwide. There is a nearly universal call to intensify extensive beef cattle production systems to spare land for crop production and nature and to meet Brazil's Intended Nationally Determined Contribution to reducing global climate change. However, different interventions aimed at the intensification of livestock systems in Brazil may involve substantial social and environmental tradeoffs. Here we examine these tradeoffs using a whole-farm model calibrated for the Brazilian agricultural frontier state of Mato Grosso, one of the largest soybean and beef cattle production regions in the world. Specifically, we compare the costs and benefits of a typical extensive, continuously grazed cattle system relative to a specialized soybean production system and two improved cattle management strategies (rotational grazing and integrated soybean-cattle) under different climate scenarios. We found clear tradeoffs in GHG and nitrogen emissions, climate resilience, and water and energy use across these systems. Relative to continuously grazed or rotationally grazed cattle systems, the integreated soybean-cattle system showed higher food production and lower GHG emissions per unit of human digestible protein, as well as increased resilience under climate change (both in terms of productivity and financial returns). All systems suffered productivity and profitability losses under severe climate change, highlighting the need for climate smart agricultural development strategies in the region. By underscoring the economic feasibility of improving the performance of cattle systems, and by quantifying the tradeoffs of each option, our results are useful for directing agricultural and climate policy.

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“…higher stocking rates (Martha, Alves, & Contini, 2012) and overcoming seasonality constraints through storage (Fetzel et al, 2016)), taking advantage of high-yielding and better adapted grass varieties (McDonagh, O'Donovan, McEvoy, & Gilliland, 2016), or higher inputs (e.g. fertilization) that reduce limiting factors, increase yields and reverse degradation (de Oliveira Silva et al, 2017). In this study, we did not account for intensification that may happen in response to a protection of natural ecosystems and changing economic conditions (Eitelberg, van Vliet, Doelman, Stehfest, & Verburg, 2016;Merry & Soares-Filho, 2017;Schmitz et al, 2015).…”

Section: Model Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pasture intensification is insufficient to relieve pressure on conservation priority areas in open agricultural markets

Kreidenweis

Humpenöder

Kehoe

et al. 2018

Global Change Biology

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Agricultural expansion is a leading driver of biodiversity loss across the world, but little is known on how future land-use change may encroach on remaining natural vegetation. This uncertainty is, in part, due to unknown levels of future agricultural intensification and international trade. Using an economic land-use model, we assessed potential future losses of natural vegetation with a focus on how these may threaten biodiversity hotspots and intact forest landscapes. We analysed agricultural expansion under proactive and reactive biodiversity protection scenarios, and for different rates of pasture intensification. We found growing food demand to lead to a significant expansion of cropland at the expense of pastures and natural vegetation. In our reference scenario, global cropland area increased by more than 400 Mha between 2015 and 2050, mostly in Africa and Latin America. Grazing intensification was a main determinant of future land-use change. In Africa, higher rates of pasture intensification resulted in smaller losses of natural vegetation, and reduced pressure on biodiversity hotspots and intact forest landscapes. Investments into raising pasture productivity in conjunction with proactive land-use planning appear essential in Africa to reduce further losses of areas with high conservation value. In Latin America, in contrast, higher pasture productivity resulted in increased livestock exports, highlighting that unchecked trade can reduce the land savings of pasture intensification. Reactive protection of sensitive areas significantly reduced the conversion of natural ecosystems in Latin America. We conclude that protection strategies need to adapt to region-specific trade positions. In regions with a high involvement in international trade, area-based conservation measures should be preferred over strategies aimed at increasing pasture productivity, which by themselves might not be sufficient to protect biodiversity effectively.

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Sustainable intensification of Brazilian livestock production through optimized pasture restoration

Cited by 88 publications

References 20 publications

Environmental sustainability assessment of the manufacturing process of a biological active pharmaceutical ingredient

Environmental sustainability assessment of the manufacturing process of a biological active pharmaceutical ingredient

Tradeoffs in the quest for climate smart agricultural intensification in Mato Grosso, Brazil

Pasture intensification is insufficient to relieve pressure on conservation priority areas in open agricultural markets

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