cows and sheep produce meat, milk, wool, leather....oh and methane! - dr duncan pullar (eblex)
DESCRIPTION
This presentation forms part of the Farming Futures workshop 'Making livestock farming fit for the future'. 9th December 2009TRANSCRIPT
Cows and sheep produce meat and milk and wool and leather….,
Oh and methane !!
Dr Duncan Pullar, EBLEX
Climate change:
Latest (2007) IPCC report:• ‘Warming of the climate system is
unequivocal…’• Most of the observed increase in globally
averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely [over 90% certainty]due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations
Climate change…
• Temperature increase of 0.74ºC in last 100 years
• 11 of last 12 years have been the warmest on record
• Warming of oceans• Faster than average warming in Arctic
Quick guide to terminologyGHGs = greenhouse gas emissions
CO2 the main GHG but…
…others also important especially for food• Methane 21 x greater global warming potential than CO2
• Nitrous oxide 296 x greater global warming potential than CO2
• Refrigerant gases thousands of times greater than CO2
CO2 Equivalents
CO2eq
GHG productionGHG Total UK
emissions as M t of CO2eq
UK Agricultural emissions as M t of CO2eq
CO2 554 <0.1 (<1%)
CH4 49.4 18.4 (37%)
N2O 37.8 25 (66%)
Total CO2eq
641.9 43.5 (7%)
85% of this from rumen fermentation
70% of this from livestock farming
Approximate make up of CO2 eq for beef/sheep
Carbon dioxideNitrous OxideMethane
2.0M Dairy cows 1.6M Suckler cows
0.5M Holmales
0.1M beef x females
0.6M replacementsUK Cattle numbers
0.3M replacements
0.3M beef x males0.2M beef x females 0.7M males 0.4M females
2.0M annual slaughter
UK Sheep Industry Structure0.1.5M replacements
1.4M replacements
5.8M Hill ewes 4.6M mules + other ½ bred
2.8M Hill lambs
4.2 M terminal x half bred
lambs7.0 M term x
lambs
14 M lamb slaughter
1.9 M cull ewes
4.7M Term x &½ bred ewes
0.2M replacements
Cows and sheep produce methane
Rumen MicrobiologyPlant energy sources
(polysaccharides e.g cellulose) Sugars(6 C)
Pyruvate(3 C)
Microbe
action
2H2
CO2
Acetate(2 C)
Butyrate4 C
Propionate3 C
Lactate(3C)
CH4
Methane
GWP of Beef and Lamb
UK Beef
UK Lamb
Pork
14.6 4.0
23.322
Chicken Potato
GWP t CO2 Eq 13.9 2.7
16.9
0.15
Primary energy use GJ/t
31.3 1.4
We certainly have a PR challenge!!
BUT there are good reasons to produce beef and lamb…
and we can get more efficient
Defra require 11% reduction from current by 2020
Sheep GWP100 CO2 eqBaseline
GWP100 kg CO2 eq/ kg
Hill 18.44
Upland 16.62
Lowland 13.82
-11% 2020 targetGWP100 kg CO2 eq/ kg
16.41
14.79
12.30
Beef GWP100 CO2 eqBaseline
GWP100 kg CO2 eq/ kg
Lowland suckler
17.12
Hill/ Upland suckler
16.98
Dairy beef 10.97
-11% 2020 targetGWP100 kg CO2 eq/ kg
15.24
15.11
9.76
We know how to improve!!
1. Increase feed efficiency 2. Increase fertility3. Increase longevity
AND this will also improve your margins!
Herd efficiency improvements to achieve a 11% saving in GWP100
0.2
0.25
0.3
0.35
0.4
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12
Increase in calves per cow
Increase in liveweight
gain (kg/day)
Flock efficiency improvements to achieve a 11% saving in GWP100
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2
Increase in growth rate %
Additional lambs per ewe
Select better animals •Feed utilisation efficiency is heritable
•Productivity (milk production and meat growth) are heritable
•Fertility, Disease Resistance and Longevity are heritable
Change the type of feed Feed ME MJ/kg DM CP g/100g DM
Maize Grain 14.3 10.0Field Beans 13.8 29.0Wheat Distillers' Grains 13.5 32.0Barley grain 13.2 12.1Oats 12.2 11.0Maize Silage 13.0 8.0Grass silage 9-11 12-16Hay 8.0 12.0Straw 6.0 2.0
Incr
easi
ng d
iges
tibili
ty
Change the feed quality
High Sugar Ryegrass
Lower protein Clover
Change the feed quality
Manage sward height effectively
DM yield and ME changes with time/date
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
20-Apr 30-Apr 10-May 20-May 30-May 09-Jun
Cutting Date
kg D
M/ h
a
8
8.5
9
9.5
10
10.5
11
11.5
ME/
kg D
M
DM yield kg/ha ME/ kg DM
Manage resources better
Natural resources
Soil, climate, feed production
Animal resources
Breed and cross
Match genetics to resources
System Choices
When to calve/ lamb
When to house (or not)
Conclusions
• Cattle and sheep produce valuable products for human consumption but at a GHG “cost”
• The GHG cost can be reduced considerably if we apply what we already know
• There are large areas of the UK which cannot reasonably produce food for people unless cattle (or sheep) are the vehicle
• Unless consumer behaviour changes reducing production at home will simply export the problem
Conclusions
• As an industry we have to OWN this issue.
• We can and should make a contribution to reducing the C footprint of production
• We should robustly defend the role of ruminants in food production, habitat management and landscape management.
• EBLEX are working on a Beef and Lamb roadmap to put these elements into context.