Mitigactions project (Regione Veneto PSR 2014-20 misura 16 DGR n° 736/2018) aims to assess greenhouse gases and ammonia emissions related to the main livestock systems (dairy and beef cattle, pigs, and poultry) of the Veneto region (Northern Italy, responsible for nearly 80% of the national livestock production) and to identify feasible mitigation options. This contribution reports some preliminary results related to the emissions (Life Cycle Assessment) and the conversion ratio of crude protein (CP) of the whole diet (CPCR) or of the potentially human-edible portion of the diet (HeCPCR) into food protein. Data originated from 77 farms, belonging to the following systems: 28 dairy (120±110 cows), 17 young bull (689±291 places/farm), 17 pig (with reeding sows, 1,200±720 animals, and/or fattening heavy pigs, 3,255±1,996 places/farm) and 15 chicken broiler (39,492±26,648 places/cycle) farms. Impact categories were global warming (GWP), acidification (AP), and eutrophication (EP) potentials. Functional unit was 1 kg of CP in the product. Protein conversion ratio was computed as CP in feeds per 1 kg edible CP in the product (CPe). Mean GWP, AP, and EP per 1 kg CP ranged from 15.4 to 135.8 kg CO2-eq, 0.3 to 1.7 kg SO2-eq and 0.2 to 0.6 kg PO4-eq, respectively. The poultry meat showed the lowest values and beef meat the greatest ones in all the impact categories, whereas milk and pork meat had similar results, two-fold greater than poultry. The large variability observed for GWP was due to enteric methane (43 to 60% of whole impact in cattle systems). Feed production was the biggest contributor for all the livestock systems (29 to 76%, 30 to 64% and 64 to 72% of GWP, AP and EP respectively). The production of 1 kg CPe required from 3.3 to 15.1 kg of dietary CP, of which from 25 to 82% was potentially human-edible. Poultry meat showed the best values in terms of CPCR whereas milk in terms of HeCPCR. The different emission values and the rank of the livestock systems in terms of emissions and CP conversion ratios suggest that the emission mitigation options should be specific for each livestock system and oriented to maintain production efficiency.
Monitoring emissions of the intensive livestock systems in Northern Italy: the Mitigactions project
Marco Berton
;Enrico Sturaro;Stefano Schiavon;Alessio Cecchinato;Gerolamo Xiccato;Marco Birolo;Luigi Gallo
2021
Abstract
Mitigactions project (Regione Veneto PSR 2014-20 misura 16 DGR n° 736/2018) aims to assess greenhouse gases and ammonia emissions related to the main livestock systems (dairy and beef cattle, pigs, and poultry) of the Veneto region (Northern Italy, responsible for nearly 80% of the national livestock production) and to identify feasible mitigation options. This contribution reports some preliminary results related to the emissions (Life Cycle Assessment) and the conversion ratio of crude protein (CP) of the whole diet (CPCR) or of the potentially human-edible portion of the diet (HeCPCR) into food protein. Data originated from 77 farms, belonging to the following systems: 28 dairy (120±110 cows), 17 young bull (689±291 places/farm), 17 pig (with reeding sows, 1,200±720 animals, and/or fattening heavy pigs, 3,255±1,996 places/farm) and 15 chicken broiler (39,492±26,648 places/cycle) farms. Impact categories were global warming (GWP), acidification (AP), and eutrophication (EP) potentials. Functional unit was 1 kg of CP in the product. Protein conversion ratio was computed as CP in feeds per 1 kg edible CP in the product (CPe). Mean GWP, AP, and EP per 1 kg CP ranged from 15.4 to 135.8 kg CO2-eq, 0.3 to 1.7 kg SO2-eq and 0.2 to 0.6 kg PO4-eq, respectively. The poultry meat showed the lowest values and beef meat the greatest ones in all the impact categories, whereas milk and pork meat had similar results, two-fold greater than poultry. The large variability observed for GWP was due to enteric methane (43 to 60% of whole impact in cattle systems). Feed production was the biggest contributor for all the livestock systems (29 to 76%, 30 to 64% and 64 to 72% of GWP, AP and EP respectively). The production of 1 kg CPe required from 3.3 to 15.1 kg of dietary CP, of which from 25 to 82% was potentially human-edible. Poultry meat showed the best values in terms of CPCR whereas milk in terms of HeCPCR. The different emission values and the rank of the livestock systems in terms of emissions and CP conversion ratios suggest that the emission mitigation options should be specific for each livestock system and oriented to maintain production efficiency.Pubblicazioni consigliate
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