Environmental challenges in dry tropical livestock systems: GHG emissions and carbon storage balance
The effect of livestock on global warming and more generally on the environment are widely reported. Il is estimated that the livestock sector accounts for 14.5% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of which 39% is due enteric methane (CH4). Sub-Sahara African (SSA) livestock (pastoral and agropastoral) systems suffer from a criticism because their environmental impact appears high when GHG emissions are expressed per kg of product (milk, meat), due to their limited productive efficiency. Enteric emission rates are also high because of the low overall quality of forage resources and their seasonal variability. But these assessments do not account for the animal's role in organic matter recycling and carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling in grazed ecosystems. Moreover, most calculations are based on default emission factors which are not adapted to local conditions, and to approximative regional livestock populations. One of the major challenges of SSA pastoral and agropastoral livestock systems is to modify this negative perception of their impact, by working to recognize these systems as a mode of production and lifestyle and acknowledging their environmental contribution. Through research work and production of reference data, CaSSECS project is promoting an original approach to assess the environmental impact of livestock systems in SSA. This original approach, called an ecosystem approach of the carbon balance, aims to evaluate over a complete annual cycle all the GHG emission (animal, soil and water surfaces) and carbon storage (trees and soil) by using local references. To calculate the carbon balance at the national level, FAO's GLEAM tool will be updated with novel GHG emission references and an additional module for carbon storage of land management related to the livestock sector assessment in soil and trees.
Main Authors: | , , |
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Format: | conference_item biblioteca |
Language: | eng |
Published: |
Wageningen Academic Publishers
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Online Access: | http://agritrop.cirad.fr/609340/ http://agritrop.cirad.fr/609340/1/ID609340.pdf |
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Summary: | The effect of livestock on global warming and more generally on the environment are widely reported. Il is estimated that the livestock sector accounts for 14.5% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of which 39% is due enteric methane (CH4). Sub-Sahara African (SSA) livestock (pastoral and agropastoral) systems suffer from a criticism because their environmental impact appears high when GHG emissions are expressed per kg of product (milk, meat), due to their limited productive efficiency. Enteric emission rates are also high because of the low overall quality of forage resources and their seasonal variability. But these assessments do not account for the animal's role in organic matter recycling and carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling in grazed ecosystems. Moreover, most calculations are based on default emission factors which are not adapted to local conditions, and to approximative regional livestock populations. One of the major challenges of SSA pastoral and agropastoral livestock systems is to modify this negative perception of their impact, by working to recognize these systems as a mode of production and lifestyle and acknowledging their environmental contribution. Through research work and production of reference data, CaSSECS project is promoting an original approach to assess the environmental impact of livestock systems in SSA. This original approach, called an ecosystem approach of the carbon balance, aims to evaluate over a complete annual cycle all the GHG emission (animal, soil and water surfaces) and carbon storage (trees and soil) by using local references. To calculate the carbon balance at the national level, FAO's GLEAM tool will be updated with novel GHG emission references and an additional module for carbon storage of land management related to the livestock sector assessment in soil and trees. |
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