Tropentag, September 16 - 18, 2026, Göttingen "Towards multi-functional agro-ecosystems promoting climate-resilient futures"

Can climate-smart livestock practices increase milk yield of dairy cattle in the Tropics? Evidence from sub-Saharan Africa

University of Kassel / University of Göttingen, Animal Husbandry in the Tropics and Subtropics, Germany

Abstract

Climate-smart livestock (CSL) practices have the potential to boost milk yield (MY) and mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, the extent to which various CSL practices increase MY and mitigate GHG emissions in the dairy sector remains unclear. To address this knowledge gap, the present study estimated the effects of CSL practices on MY and on enteric methane (CH₄) emission intensity (EI) of dairy cattle in SSA using meta-analytical methods. Study identification and selection were conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Seventy-one publications identified through searches in the Web of Science database and the Google Scholar search engine met the inclusion criteria and were used for the analysis. The CSL practices identified and considered for this study using a random-effects model were feeding of i) silage, ii) concentrate feed, iii) hay, iv) forage legumes and v) fodder cereals.
CSL practices led to a significant (P < 0.001) overall positive effect size on MY of 1.30 (95% CI: 1.07–1.53; N=77). Use of silage had the biggest effect size (2.64; N= 8), followed by concentrates (1.33; N=44) and fodder cereals (1.21; N=7), while feeding hay (1.11; N= 9) and forage legumes (0.68; N= 9) showed smaller and more variable effects. Substantial heterogeneity was observed, whereby dry matter intake and days of experiment duration were identified as significant moderators in meta-regression. CSL practices reduced enteric CH₄ EI by 41.5% compared to the usual feeding practices that were based on natural pasture. The mean EI per kilogram of fat and protein-corrected milk (FPCM) was significantly lower under CSL practices (0.91 vs. 1.55 kg CO₂-eq; P < 0.001), with variation across practices (0.73–1.30 kg CO₂-eq).
The results indicate that CSL practices have a big potential to increase MY and reduce enteric CH₄ EI in SSA, supporting their integration in Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions for dairy production systems so as to meet the Nationally Determined Contribution obligations of the Paris Agreement for SSA countries.

Keywords: Climate change mitigation, enteric methane, low emissions dairy, meta-regression, Paris agreement

Contact Address: Christian Bateki Adjogo, University of Kassel / University of Göttingen, Animal Husbandry in the Tropics and Subtropics, Steinstr. 19, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany, e-mail: christian.batekiuni-kassel.de