Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
by the results of a second FAO (2010) report that
focused on modelling global and regional GHG
emissions from dairy production using LCA. As
dairy system intensity declines and the average
milk yield shifts from approximately 9000 kg per
cow for North America to ~250 kg per cow for
Sub-Saharan Africa, the carbon footprint
increases from 1.3 to 7.6 kg CO
2
-eq kg
−1
milk
(Fig. 11.5). The productivity and efficiency gains
made by the US livestock industries over the past
century have conferred significant improve-
ments in environmental sustainability, yet it is
crucial to note that true sustainability can only
be achieved by making the best use of the
resources available within each region; thus it is
dangerous to consider any specific system as a
utopic ideal that should be replicated elsewhere.
Regional livestock system sustainability
should therefore not be limited to the environ-
mental impact of the system, but must also con-
sider the economic and social implications. For
example, the data in Fig. 11.5 could provoke the
conclusion that all regions should adopt North
American and Western European-style produc-
tion systems in order to reduce the carbon foot-
print of dairying, or that production should be
focused in these areas and be discouraged in less
productive regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa
and South Asia. However, the significant social
(both status and nutritional) and economic value
of dairying in less-developed regions must not be
underestimated. The challenge for global livestock
production is to optimize sustainability within
each region, specifically developing regions that
will bear the brunt of increased population growth
within the next 40 years, rather than prescribing
the best 'one-size-fits-all' system.
Conclusions
The livestock industry faces a clear challenge in
producing sufficient animal protein to supply
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Annual milk yield
Carbon footprint
Fig. 11.5.
Average annual milk yield and carbon footprint per kg of milk for selected global regions,
adapted from Capper (2011b).
