Implementing Climate Action: The Role of the Livestock and Animal Feed Industries

Following the recent Cop26 summit, which brought global parties together to accelerate action toward the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, climate conversations have been at the forefront of most people’s minds. However, the summit was met with a great deal of dissatisfaction due to a lack of discussion of the agricultural and farming sectors. Specifically, the livestock sector, which contributes significantly to global human-induced greenhouse gas emissions.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, livestock on EU farms (including the UK) contributed approximately 502 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2018, the majority of which was methane emissions. Farming alone accounts for 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United Kingdom.

Environmental Pressure on the Livestock Sector

The livestock sector is under increasing strain due to rising demand for meat and dairy products. North America and Western Europe are the third-largest cattle producers, with approximately 10 million tonnes of protein produced. According to Greenpeace, the EU’s meat and dairy output increased by 9.5% between 2007 and 2018, resulting in a 6% increase in annual emissions, or nearly 39 million tonnes. The two most significant contributions to emissions in the livestock sector are feed production (41%), and enteric fermentation (44%).

Carbon dioxide emissions increase during the feed production process as feed crops and pastures extend into natural areas such as forests. They also rise because of the manufacture of fertilisers and pesticides for feed crops, as well as feed transportation and processing.

Nitrous oxide emissions have dropped by 47.5% between 1990 and 2010, however, they are still generated using nitrogenous fertilisers and manure in pastures and agricultural regions. Nonetheless, cattle are the industry’s most significant source of emissions, accounting for around 5 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent, or about 62% of overall emissions.

Enteric fermentation refers to the methane produced during ruminant digestion and accounts for 44% of sector emissions. Previous research indicated a link between feed quality and enteric emissions. That is, poorly digestible rations containing a lot of fibrous components produce a lot of enteric methane emissions.

With a goal for farmers to become carbon neutral by 2040 in the United Kingdom, what can they do now to reach this aim? Many people have focused on reducing the consumption of dairy and meat to curb the rise of methane emissions. However, none of the four farming union presidents from the United Kingdom present at Cop26 agreed that cattle numbers should be reduced or that customers should eat less meat. Rather than lowering the number of cows on farms, the union president suggested that innovative technologies be used to reduce methane emissions.

Could Feed Software Make a Difference?

Feed management software is one example of innovative technology that could make a significant difference. The evolution of feed management software enables users to increase overall feeding performance and allows farmers to feed their cows consistently. With such a close relationship between enteric emissions and feed quality, there is a clear avenue to optimising the feeding process through feed management software and help reduce methane emissions in the UK.

Feed management software can ensure feed quality. This software has features that allow you to easily break down feed orders into the individual ingredients required for manufacturing – this information is instantly communicated to the purchasing department so that raw materials can be procured efficiently. You can also increase production efficiency because recorded feed formulations are immediately visible for repeat production runs.

There are also recorded feed formulas accessible to offer production plans and raw material breakdowns, saving time and effort in the manufacturing process. We would expect methane emission intensity to drop if farms could provide constant and high-quality feeding that, in turn, reduced the amount of methane produced on farms.

What is apparent is that pressure is increasing, and the agricultural industry, particularly the livestock industry, requires action that is well-funded and vigorously implemented. The UK government is currently investing £11 million in efforts to bring agricultural and horticultural industries to net zero emissions and has earmarked £500 million in funding for the implementation of the Forest, Agriculture, and Commodity Trade Roadmap. Following Cop26, the world appears to be motivated and determined to make the necessary changes; yet, is the focus in the right place, and will enough be done to effect meaningful and noticeable change?

If you’d like to know more about how feed management software can help your business contribute to lowering global emissions, then don’t hesitate to contact us at primetics@culturatech.com