carbon footprinting and welsh lamb katharina plassmann* gareth edwards-jones bangor university *dr...

Carbon footprinting and Welsh Lamb

Katharina Plassmann*Gareth Edwards-Jones

Bangor University

*Dr Katharina Plassmann who delivered this presentation can now be contacted at: Research Station, Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon ART, Switzerland : http://www.reckenholz.chEmail: katharina.plassmann@art.admin.ch

Structure

Background

Example carbon footprint of foods

Developing a carbon footprint for a sheep farm

More Welsh carbon footprinting results and international comparison

Uncertainty

Background

Carbon footprint= the sum of greenhouse gases released

during the full life cycle of a product (good or service)

Global warming potential

carbon footprints are expressed as kg CO2 equivalents

carbon dioxide (CO2): 1 kg = 1 kg CO2 equivalents

nitrous oxide (N2O): 1 kg = 296 kg CO2 equivalents

methane (CH4): 1 kg = 23 kg CO2 equivalents

other greenhouse gases include CFCs, halons, methyl bromide, sulphur hexafluoride, halogenated HC, mono/di/trichloromethane…)

Life Cycle Assessment

Farm

Transport

Storage & processing

Retail

INPUTS OUTPUTSMachineryPesticidesFertiliserElectricityFuel

FoodWastesPollution

MachineryFuel

MachineryElectricity

Pollution

PollutionWastes

ElectricityPackaging

WastesPollution

ElectricityFuel Consumption

WastesPollution

DisposalElectricityFuel

WastesPollution

Example carbon footprints of food

Typical carbon

footprints

(kg CO2 equivalents per kg of food/drink)

various sources

Item kg CO2e / kg

Apples low 0.5

Potatoes low 0.6

Strawberries low 0.8-1

Milk (per litre) low 1

Green beans (UK) low 1.4

Frozen chips med 5-6

Pork med 3-6

Chicken med 4-6

Tomatoes med 2-9

Cheese med-high 7-13

Lamb high 14

Beef high 12-23

Carbon footprinting schemesInternational Organisation for Standardisation (ISO)Agency for the Environment and Energy Management (ADEME), FranceWorld Resources Institute (WRI) Casino, FranceMigros, SwitzerlandLeclerc, FranceKRAV and Svenskt Sigill, SwedenBlauer Engel (Blue Angel), GermanyTÜV Nord, GermanyKoreaThailandcarboNZero, New ZealandPatagonia Clothes, USEuropean Ecolabel (Eco-Flower)PAS2050, UKMinistry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan

Developing a carbon footprint for a sheep farm

Describe the activities in the system

Farm details Fertiliser / pesticides

Area of farm (ha) 130 kg N/year 12,560

Number of livestock 800 ewes 747 lambs 50 cattle 45 calves

kg P/year 3,650

Live weight of livestock sold/year (kg) 39 (lambs) 350 (cattle)

kg K/year 3,700

kg S/year 168

Organic N kg N/yr 1,238

Energy use Pesticides litres/year 10

Diesel use (incl. contractors) (litres/year) 5,986

Petrol use (litres/year) 415 Feed

Electricity use (kWh/year) 7,400 Concentrate, silage etc. (kg/yr) 72,000

Obtain CO2 equivalents for each input

Item kg CO2 equivalents

N fertiliser (per kg N) 6.3

P fertiliser (per kg P) 0.14

Pesticide (per kg ai) 18.8

Diesel (per litre) 2.7

Multiply emissions per unit by amount used in the system (boundary 1)

Item GWP (kg CO2e/ha/yr)

Diesel 127

Petrol 7

Electricity 30

Fertiliser – N 609

Fertiliser – P 4

Fertiliser – K 15

Fertiliser – S 0.4

Pesticides 0.8

Concentrates 312

Silage wrap 2

TOTAL 1,106 (522-1,691)

Expanding the system boundary

These emissions include methane from enteric fermentation and nitrous oxides from soils and increase the emissions for this farm to:

5,227 kg CO2e/ha/year

(range: 3,318 – 12,920)

Add in ecosystem emissions

Summary of emissions from sheep farm

direct inputs3%

CH4 manure

management1%

indirect inputs18%

CH4 enteric

fermentation44%

N2O indirect

9%

N2O direct

25%

More Welsh results and international comparison

Beef and sheep farms

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

5 6 10 14 21 27 1 3 20 average

direct inputs indirect inputs N2O CH4 CO2 from lime application

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

5 6 10 14 21 27 1 3 20

Farm number

kg C

O2

equ

ival

ents

ha

-1 y

ear-1

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

kg

CO

2 eq

uiv

ale

nts

kg

-1 live

we

igh

t

total direct inputs total indirect inputs total N2O total CH4

CO2 from lime application kg CO2 equ kg-1 LW beef kg CO2 equ kg-1 LW lamb

Beef and sheep farms

Lamb comparative results

Methodological approach

Country Result Source

Real farm data UK 12.9 kg CO2e kg-1 LW

(8.1-31.7)

Edwards-Jones et al. (2009)

Real farm data UK 5.8-19.9 CO2e kg-1 LW unpublished

National average Ireland 10.0 kg CO2e kg-1 LW Casey & Holden (2005)

Model UK 17.5 kg CO2e kg-1 DW Williams et al. (2006)

Model – organic UK 10.1 kg CO2e kg-1 DW Williams et al. (2006)

Model UK 14.1 kg CO2e kg-1 DW Williams et al. (2009)

Model NZ 11.6 kg CO2e kg-1 DW Williams et al. (2009)

THANKS

Conference organisers

Our funders:• Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group Wales

• Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales

• International Institute for Environment and Development

• World Bank