Carbon footprints of greenhouse gas mitigation measures for a grass-based beef cattle finishing system in the UK.

IF 5.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment Pub Date : 2025-01-01 Epub Date: 2025-01-14 DOI:10.1007/s11367-025-02428-9

Asma Jebari, Taro Takahashi, Michael R F Lee, Adrian L Collins, Kevin Coleman, Alison Carswell, Carmen Segura, Laura Cardenas, Graham A McAuliffe

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Abstract

Purpose: Agri-food systems across the globe are faced with the challenge of reducing their supply-chain emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as nitrous oxide (N₂O), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and methane (CH₄). For instance, 10% of the UK's GHG emissions are generated by agriculture, and ~ 56% of these are generated by livestock production. Numerous mitigation measures are being proposed to reduce GHG emissions from ruminants (representing 70 to 80% of total livestock emissions), particularly from beef cattle (presenting 30-40% of total livestock emissions).

Methods: To explore such potential, first, a business-as-usual (BAU) partial cradle-to-finishing farmgate scale modelling framework was developed. The BAU systems (i.e. steady-state productivity based on primary data from the North Wyke Farm Platform) were built using ensemble modelling wherein the RothC process-based soil organic carbon (SOC) model was integrated into the life cycle assessment (LCA) framework to conduct a trade-off analysis related to mitigation measures applicable to the study system. Potential mitigation measures were applied to the BAU scenario. The interventions assessed included: (i) extensification; (ii) adopting anaerobic digestion technology; and (iii) the use of the nitrification inhibitor DCD and substitution of fertiliser nitrogen with symbiotically fixed nitrogen from legumes.

Results: The partial carbon footprint for 1 kg of beef liveweight gain leaving the farmgate could be reduced by 7.5%, 12%, or 26% by adopting nitrification inhibitors, white clover introduction (pending establishment success), and anaerobic digestion for manure management, respectively.

Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of including emissions beyond the farmgate level to analyse the carbon footprint of different management scenarios in order to assess the sustainability of agri-food production systems.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11367-025-02428-9.

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英国以草为基础的肉牛精育系统的温室气体减排措施的碳足迹。

目的：全球农业食品系统都面临着减少其供应链温室气体（ghg）排放的挑战，如一氧化二氮（N2O）、二氧化碳（CO2）和甲烷（CH4）。例如，英国10%的温室气体排放是由农业产生的，其中约56%是由畜牧业产生的。正在提出许多缓解措施，以减少反刍动物（占牲畜总排放量的70 - 80%），特别是肉牛（占牲畜总排放量的30-40%）的温室气体排放。方法：为了探索这种潜力，首先，开发了一个照常经营（BAU）部分从摇篮到肥育的农场规模模型框架。BAU系统（即基于North Wyke农场平台原始数据的稳态生产力）使用集成模型构建，其中基于RothC过程的土壤有机碳（SOC）模型被集成到生命周期评估（LCA）框架中，以进行与适用于研究系统的缓解措施相关的权衡分析。对BAU情景应用了可能的缓解措施。评估的干预措施包括：(i)扩大；（二）采用厌氧消化技术；（iii）使用硝化抑制剂DCD和用豆科植物共生固定氮代替肥料氮。结果：采用硝化抑制剂、引进白三叶草（待建立成功）和厌氧消化进行粪便管理，可分别减少1 kg活增重离开农场的部分碳足迹，分别减少7.5%、12%和26%。结论：研究结果强调了将农场以外的排放纳入分析不同管理方案的碳足迹的重要性，以便评估农业粮食生产系统的可持续性。补充资料：在线版本包含补充资料，下载地址：10.1007/s11367-025-02428-9。

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来源期刊

International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 环境科学-工程：环境

CiteScore

10.60

自引率

10.40%

发文量

100

审稿时长

8-16 weeks

期刊介绍： The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment (Int J Life Cycle Assess) is the first journal devoted entirely to Life Cycle Assessment and closely related methods. LCA has become a recognized instrument to assess the ecological burdens and impacts throughout the consecutive and interlinked stages of a product system, from raw material acquisition or generation from natural resources, through production and use to final disposal. The Int J Life Cycle Assess is a forum for scientists developing LCA and LCM (Life Cycle Management); LCA and LCM practitioners; managers concerned with environmental aspects of products; governmental environmental agencies responsible for product quality; scientific and industrial societies involved in LCA development, and ecological institutions and bodies.