Download - Cows and sheep produce meat, milk, wool, leather....oh and methane! - Dr Duncan Pullar (EBLEX)
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Cows and sheep produce meat and milk and wool and leather….,
Oh and methane !!
Dr Duncan Pullar, EBLEX
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Approximate make up of CO2 eq for beef/sheep
Carbon dioxideNitrous OxideMethane
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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
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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
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Cows and sheep produce methane
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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
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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
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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
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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
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We know how to improve!!
1. Increase feed efficiency 2. Increase fertility3. Increase longevity
AND this will also improve your margins!
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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)
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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
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Select better animals •Feed utilisation efficiency is heritable
•Productivity (milk production and meat growth) are heritable
•Fertility, Disease Resistance and Longevity are heritable
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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
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Change the feed quality
High Sugar Ryegrass
Lower protein Clover
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Change the feed quality
Manage sward height effectively
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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
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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)
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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
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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.
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