Tropentag, September 11 - 13, 2024, Vienna "Explore opportunities... for managing natural resources and a better life for all"

Greenhouse gases in livestock farming: The case study in Fleckvieh cattle in the Peruvian Amazon

¹Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza de Amazonas, Instituto de Investigación en Ganadería y Biotecnología, Peru
²GENEX CDP PERU, Cajamarca, Peru
³University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dept. of Animal & Dairy Sciences, United States
⁴Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Facultad de Zootecnia, Peru

Abstract

Small-scale production of milk and beef is crucial for the economy and food security. However, mitigating the environmental impact of livestock farming requires the implementation of sustainable practices. The carbon footprint (CF) framework, which estimates all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout a product or service’s life cycle, serves as a crucial tool in this regard. This study aimed to quantify the GHG in ten Fleckvieh production systems distributed in four provinces of the Peruvian Amazon region: Chachapoyas (System I; n = 2), Bongara (System II; n = 4), Rodriguez de Mendoza (System III; n = 2), and Utcubamba (System IV; n = 2). Parameters such as average live weight, number of animal units (AU), dry matter intake, fat and protein-corrected milk (FPCM), digestibility, and protein content of forage consumed were evaluated. The CF was calculated based on the methodologies recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2019). The CF (CO₂eq/kg of FPCM), enteric methane, methane from manure, and manure nitrous oxide were analysed and compared using Duncan's Multiple Range Test across systems. Pearson's correlation coefficient was then calculated to assess the strength and direction of the relationships. Results revealed a CF range of 1.72 and 2.53 kg CO₂eq/kg of FPCM, depending on the global warming potential and the allocation method (economic and biophysical). Enteric methane (90.8 %) was the main contributor to GHG emissions, followed by nitrous oxide from manure management (6.9%). Positive correlations were found between methane emissions with total FPCM (r = 0.94), AU (r = 0.99), lactating cows (r = 0.95), and low-producing animals (r = 0.97). System I (67.7 kg CH₄/kg of FPCM) exhibited the lowest enteric methane emissions, suggesting better livestock and feed management than Systems II (93.6 kg CH₄/kg of FPCM) and IV (89.1 kg CH₄/kg of FPCM). Our study highlights the need to optimise herd composition, increase production levels and decrease low-producing animals to reduce the CF. Likewise, improving the forage nutritive value can increase milk production, securing the economic well-being of smallholder farmers and the sustainability of the farming sector in the Peruvian Amazon.

Keywords: Climate change, life cycle assessment, livestock, methane, nitrous oxide, partial carbon footprint

Contact Address: Deysi Yenny Ruiz Llontop, Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza de Amazonas, Instituto de Investigación en Ganadería y Biotecnología, Jr. Triunfo Cuadra 2, 01001 Chachapoyas, Amazonas, Peru, e-mail: yennyruiz2211gmail.com