The contribution of local shrubs to the carbon footprint reduction of traditional dairy systems in Cundinamarca, Colombia

Abstract

Cattle farming is responsible for about 15% of Colombian greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE). In Cundinamarca Department, specialized dairy farms located in the high tropics contribute to 14% of national milk production, and 94% correspond to small-scale producers. Therefore, mitigation strategies for dairy farms are needed to achieve the national GHGE reduction targets. This study aims to quantify the carbon footprint (CF), through of a Life Cycle Assessment methodology, of 82 specialized dairy farms at the farm gate in 3 regions of Cundinamarca: Center Savanna, West Savanna, and Ubate Valley; and identify the contribution of Acacia decurrens, Sambucus peruviana, and Baccharis latifolia on milk production increases and GHGE mitigation potential. The GHGE were calculated with the 2019 Refinement to 2006 IPCC guidelines and impact factors from databases. The functional units corresponded to one kg fat and protein corrected milk (FPCM) and one kg live weight gain, in a cradle-to-farm-gate approach. For the 3 regions, the enteric fermentation and manure left in pastures corresponded to the primary sources of on-farm GHGE, and the manufacturing of feed was the main off-farm source. Milk CFs ranged between 1.5 and 2.2 kgCO2-eq kgFPCM− 1. Incorporating Acacia decurrens, Sambucus peruviana, and Baccharis latifolia in cattle diets resulted in a reduction of CF by 13–26% and increased milk yields by 19–37% across the three regions. These findings provide evidence of GHGE mitigation and increased milk productivity through the inclusion of locally available feedstuffs in specialized dairy systems in the high tropics of Cundinamarca.