FAO: Livestock is on track to achieve large-scale greenhouse gas reductions

Wider adoption of existing best practices and technologies can contribute significantly to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions in this sector

livestock farming provides livelihood support for hundreds of millions of people.

2013 september 26, Rome- according to a new study released today by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), greenhouse gas emissions in the livestock sector could be reduced by up to 30 per cent through wider adoption of existing best practices and technologies.

This paper is entitled 《 addressing Climate Change through Livestock: A Global Assessment of Emissions and Mitigation Opportunities> the report is the most comprehensive assessment to date of the role of livestock in global warming and the sector's potential to help address the problem.

Overall, annual GHG emissions associated with livestock supply chains total 7.1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-eq), or 14.5 per cent of total human-caused GHG emissions.

The main sources of emissions are: feed production and processing (45% of total emissions), greenhouse gases produced by dairy cows during digestion (39%) and manure decomposition (10%). The remainder comes from the processing and transportation of animal products.

In order to obtain these estimates, FAO analyzed in detail the greenhouse gas emissions of different stages of the livestock supply chain, including the production and transportation of animal feed, energy use on farms, emissions from animal digestion and manure decomposition, and the transportation, refrigeration and packaging of animal products after slaughter.

Emission reduction potential is huge

after an in-depth exploration of emission sources and emission patterns, the report shows that livestock producers are on track to achieve large-scale emission reductions.

By promoting the use of existing best practices and technologies in feeding, sanitation and livestock and manure management, as well as currently underutilized technologies such as biogas generators and energy-efficient equipment, to improve efficiency and reduce energy waste, the global livestock sector could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 30 per cent.

The FAO report points out that within livestock production systems, there is a strong link between resource use efficiency and greenhouse gas emission intensity. The potential for achieving emission reductions lies in enabling all livestock producers to make a change and adopt practices that have been adopted by most efficient operators.

"These new findings show that the potential to improve the sector's environmental performance is huge and that there is a real possibility to realize this potential," said Ren Wang, FAO Assistant Director-General for Agriculture and Consumer Protection. "Efficiency gains can be achieved by improving production methods, not by changing production systems. But we need political will, more effective policies and, most importantly, joint action."

he added that demand for livestock products continues to grow strongly in almost all developing countries, so "the sector must act now to meet emission reduction targets to help offset the overall growth in emissions from the future development of livestock production."

many of the actions recommended by FAO to improve efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions would also boost production-providing more food and higher incomes for people, contributing to food security and reducing poverty.

Livestock farming currently supports the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people and is an increasingly important source of protein for many areas suffering from chronic hunger and malnutrition.

overall potential

according to the FAO report, significant emission reductions can be achieved in all species, systems and regions, with the greatest potential for emission reductions in low-productivity ruminant systems in South Asia, Latin America and Africa ( definition).

However, in developed countries, where emission intensity is relatively low but emissions are high due to the large scale of overall production, even small reductions in emission intensity can add up to significant benefits. Examples include dairy farming in Europe and North America, and meat pig farming in East Asia.

Cattle farming accounts for 65 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions from the livestock sector, but it also has the greatest potential to reduce emissions.

make a change

livestock production is a diverse and global activity, and the level of development of the livestock sector varies greatly from country to country-improving the efficiency of the livestock production sector and reducing greenhouse gas emissions will require a set of policies, incentives and field work, FAO said.

Emphasis should be placed on innovation in practice, complemented by knowledge transfer, financial incentives, regulations and awareness-raising. In particular, there is a need to adopt more appropriate policies to promote the transfer and use of effective practices and technologies that are already in use for a few producers, and to encourage the development of new solutions.

The use of a "life-cycle" approach can help decision-makers to identify emission hotspots along livestock supply chains, identify clear emission reduction opportunities and facilitate context-specific actions.

Fiscal incentives are also critical, given that changes in operational practices involve certain risks and require upfront investment.

Developing countries have great potential for reducing emissions. To ensure the participation of developing countries, it is important not only to focus on emission reduction targets, but also to set specific targets. Planning "nationally appropriate mitigation actions" for the livestock sector helps to integrate these goals into national action.

Work should be undertaken at the international level to ensure that emission reduction commitments made within and outside the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change are strengthened, that stronger incentives are provided for emissions reductions in the livestock sector and that efforts across economic sectors are coordinated.

Any effort to shift the livestock sector to another track requires a broad-based and inclusive approach to cooperation. "Only with the participation of all stakeholders, including the private and public sectors, civil society, research and academia, international organizations, will we be able to implement solutions that address the diversity and complexity of the livestock sector," Mr. Wang said.

To this end, FAO works with the public and private sectors, production, research and academic institutions, civil society, non-governmental organizations and intergovernmental organizations to develop strategies to support the sustainable development of the livestock sector.

Currently, the agenda identifies three priority areas to achieve significant results by improving production methods: promoting more efficient practices, improving grassland management, and improving manure management.

http://www.fao.org/news/story/zh/item/198241/icode/

man of Feeding