Yield gap analysis to identify attainable milk and meat productivities and the potential for greenhouse gas emissions mitigation in cattle systems of Colombia

González-Quintero, Ricardo; Wijk, Mark T. van; Ruden, Alejandro; Gómez, Manuel; Pantévez, Heiber Alexander; Castro-Llanos, Fabio; Notenbaert, An Maria Omer; Arango, Jacobo

doi:10.1016/j.agsy.2021.103303

Cited by 16 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 63 publications

(91 reference statements)

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“…On average, these values are 43.4%, 45.4%, 51.0%, 55%, and 77% lower than the Australian methodologicallyvariable cradle to farm-gate life cycle assessment estimates of 10.5 CO 2 -eq/kg beef LW (Eady et al, 2013;2016), 10.9 CO 2 -eq/kg beef LW (Ridoutt, 2021), 12.2 CO 2 -eq/kg beef LW (Wiedemann et al, 2016), 13.3 kg CO 2 -eq/kg beef LW (MLA, 2022), and 25.8 CO 2 -eq/kg beef LW sold (Eady et al, 2016). Furthermore, present lifetime means of 6.179 kg CO 2 -eq/kg LWG for heifers and 6.314 kg CO 2 -eq/kg LWG for steers are 42% and 80% lower than the CO 2 -eq/kg LWG fattening range indices of 10.9 and 30.9 suggested by the cradle to farm-gate life cycle assessment estimations for the Colombian piedmont plains using 2019 refined IPCC parameters (Gonzaĺez-Quintero et al, 2022). Alternatively, if a CH 4 GWP 100-28 metric (Myhre et al, 2013) is introduced to compare with the assumed CH 4 EF of 1.5 t CO 2 -eq/animal equivalent (AE; 455 kg LW)/year which is used to estimate the C balance of the Queensland beef industry (QLD Government, 2019) or the 1.56 t CO 2 -eq/AE/year for farm C accounting (Ekonomou et al, 2020), constant heifers' LWs of 438 and 453 kg, emit 1.365 vs 1.390 t CO 2 -eq/year while 1.225, 1.289, and 1.451 t CO 2 -eq/year emissions, respectively equate to stable steers' LWs of 435, 474, and 574 kg.…”

Section: Estimated Production Patterns Methane Emissions and Carcass ...mentioning

confidence: 82%

“…In this view, the present study aims to characterize growth, lifetime CH 4 emissions, the environmental efficiency of carcass characteristics, and the overall CF of young cattle subject to lifespan-grazing on B decumbens pastures. It is focused on testing the underlying relationships through scenario (SCE) analysis of forage management and consumption, greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE), SOC stocks, and potential C-holding capacity as the components of CF in a single-issue life cycle assessment of a functional farming system (Weiler et al, 2014;Ramıŕez-Restrepo et al, 2020;Gonzaĺez-Quintero et al, 2022;Ramıŕez-Restrepo et al, 2023). Possible outcomes from SCE analyses are likely to assist the investigation of sustainable circularity of BFS (Mehrabi et al, 2020;Broom, 2021), land-based GHGE removal projects and climate finance research (Costa et al, 2022), and law and policy recommendations (Bowman et al, 2012;Ayarza et al, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The carbon footprint of young-beef cattle finishing systems in the Eastern Plains of the Orinoco River Basin of Colombia

2023

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IntroductionPrevious research has shown increased productivity amongst sown grass pastures compared to native savanna pastures by year-round grazing for fattening of adult and young Brahman (Bos indicus)-bred cattle in the well-drained native savanna ecosystem of the Colombian Orinoquía. But there is limited information on the carbon footprint (CF) of commercial young-Brahman heifers and steers reared throughout life on well-managed Brachiaria decumbens Stapf pastures.MethodsThe present study characterized growth, lifetime enteric methane (CH4) emissions, carcass carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-eq) CH4 efficiency intensities (i.e., emissions per kg of product), and estimated the overall CF of young cattle grazing B. decumbens pastures subject to a range of daily liveweight gains (DLWGs; 0.428 – 0.516 kg) and fattening framework (405 – 574 kg). Weaning data from seven consecutive calving seasons in a commercial Brahman breeding herd continuously grazed on B. decumbens were integrated with a Microsoft Excel® dynamic greenhouse gas emission (GHGE) simulation of stockers-yearlings, and seven fattening, and processing scenarios.ResultsThe model predicted that heifers subject to low and high DLWGs (0.428 vs 0.516 kg) and steers (0.516 kg) may be successfully fattened without supplementation assuming that animals had access to a well-managed grass pasture. Depending on the fattening strategy, kg CO2-eq CH4/kg edible protein values ranged from 66.843 to 87.488 ± 0.497 for heifers and from 69.689 to 91.291 ± 0.446 for steers.DiscussionAssuming that forage on offer is at least 1,500-2,000 kg of dry matter/ha during the rainy season, all the simulated systems showed potential for C neutrality and net-zero C emission when considering GHGEs from the soil, pasture, and animal components vs the estimated soil C capture over seven seasons. However, under a more optimistic scenario, these beef systems could accomplish substantial net gains of soil C, over the period for which field data are available. Overall, this study projects the positive impact of the design of plausible fattening strategies on grasslands for improving cattle productivity and reducing emission intensities with concomitant increases in technical efficiency.

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Section: Estimated Production Patterns Methane Emissions and Carcass ...mentioning

confidence: 82%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The carbon footprint of young-beef cattle finishing systems in the Eastern Plains of the Orinoco River Basin of Colombia

2023

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“…Carbon footprint calculations were performed according to the methodology specified by González-Quintero et al [ 5 ] for a specialized dairy system. Briefly, the estimation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and their intensity (emissions expressed per unit of product) were conducted under the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The carbon footprint is the sum of CH 4 , nitrous oxide (N 2 O), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and other gases emitted directly or indirectly during the process of obtaining a product [ 5 ]. However, it has been stated that the carbon footprint per gram of protein in milk or meat from ruminants is very high compared to other meats, such as pork, poultry, or rabbit, or other animal products such as yogurt or eggs [ 6 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Methane Emission, Carbon Footprint and Productivity of Specialized Dairy Cows Supplemented with Bitter Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz)

Molina-Botero,

Gaviria-Uribe,

Rios-Betancur

et al. 2023

Animals

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The objective of this research was to determine the effect of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) supplementation on enteric methane (CH4) emissions, carbon footprint, and production parameters in dairy cows. Daily concentrate supply for Jersey and Jersey * Holstein breeds was evaluated in four treatments (T): T1: 100% commercial concentrate; T2: 70% concentrate + 30% cassava leaves; T3: 70% concentrate + 30% cassava roots; and T4: 70% concentrate + 15% cassava leaves + 15% cassava root chips. Measurements of CH4 emissions were performed using the polytunnel technique. Average daily dry matter intake ranged from 7.8 to 8.5 kg dry matter (DM). Cassava leaves were characterized by a high crude protein (CP) content (171 g CP/kg DM), with 5 times more neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content than cassava root (587 vs. 108 g NDF/kg DM). Average enteric CH4 emissions per animal ranged from 194 to 234 g/d (p > 0.05). The carbon footprint was reduced by replacing 30% of the concentrate with cassava leaves and/or roots. Energy-corrected milk production was 1.15 times higher in Jersey * Holstein animals than Jersey cows (47 vs. 55 kg). Therefore, supplementation with cassava leaves and/or roots is a nutritionally and environmentally sustainable strategy.

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“…East Africa has the highest density of dairy cattle in sub-Saharan African (SSA), contributing ~23% to national agricultural GDP 1,2 . Agricultural productivity growth on smallholder farms has stalled in recent years 3,4 , yet productivity gains in crop and livestock supply chains are crucial to meet food demand whilst reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 5,6,7 . Tanzania has the second largest herd in East Africa with 28 Million cattle (second to Ethiopia's herd of 70 Million) 8 , but the dairy sector is poorly developed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High-yield dairy cattle breeds improve farmer incomes, curtail greenhouse gas emissions and reduce dairy import dependency in Tanzania

et al. 2022

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Tanzania's dairy sector is poorly developed, creating reliance on imports for processed, value-added dairy products and threatening food security, particularly when supply chains are disrupted due to market volatility or armed conflicts. The Tanzanian Dairy Development Roadmap (DDR) is a domestic development initiative that aims to achieve dairy self-sufficiency by 2030. Here, we model different outcomes of the DDR, finding that adoption of high yield cattle breeds is essential for reducing dairy import dependency. Avoided land use change resulting from fewer, higher yielding dairy cattle would lead to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Dairy producers' average incomes could increase despite capital expenditure and land allocation required for the adoption of high yield breeds. Our findings demonstrate the importance of bottom-up development policies for sustainable food system transformations, which also support food sovereignty, increase incomes for smallholder farmers and contribute towards Tanzania's commitments to reduce GHG emissions.

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Yield gap analysis to identify attainable milk and meat productivities and the potential for greenhouse gas emissions mitigation in cattle systems of Colombia

Cited by 16 publications

References 63 publications

The carbon footprint of young-beef cattle finishing systems in the Eastern Plains of the Orinoco River Basin of Colombia

The carbon footprint of young-beef cattle finishing systems in the Eastern Plains of the Orinoco River Basin of Colombia

Methane Emission, Carbon Footprint and Productivity of Specialized Dairy Cows Supplemented with Bitter Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz)

High-yield dairy cattle breeds improve farmer incomes, curtail greenhouse gas emissions and reduce dairy import dependency in Tanzania

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