Cows and sheep produce meat, milk, wool, leather....oh and methane! - Dr Duncan Pullar (EBLEX)

Cows and sheep produce meat and milk and wool and leather….,

Oh and methane !!

Dr Duncan Pullar, EBLEX

Climate change:

Latest (2007) IPCC report:• ‘Warming of the climate system is

unequivocal…’• Most of the observed increase in globally

averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely [over 90% certainty]due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations

Climate change…

• Temperature increase of 0.74ºC in last 100 years

• 11 of last 12 years have been the warmest on record

• Warming of oceans• Faster than average warming in Arctic

Quick guide to terminologyGHGs = greenhouse gas emissions

CO2 the main GHG but…

…others also important especially for food• Methane 21 x greater global warming potential than CO2

• Nitrous oxide 296 x greater global warming potential than CO2

• Refrigerant gases thousands of times greater than CO2

CO2 Equivalents

CO2eq

GHG productionGHG Total UK

emissions as M t of CO2eq

UK Agricultural emissions as M t of CO2eq

CO2 554 <0.1 (<1%)

CH4 49.4 18.4 (37%)

N2O 37.8 25 (66%)

Total CO2eq

641.9 43.5 (7%)

85% of this from rumen fermentation

70% of this from livestock farming

Approximate make up of CO2 eq for beef/sheep

Carbon dioxideNitrous OxideMethane

2.0M Dairy cows 1.6M Suckler cows

0.5M Holmales

0.1M beef x females

0.6M replacementsUK Cattle numbers

0.3M replacements

0.3M beef x males0.2M beef x females 0.7M males 0.4M females

2.0M annual slaughter

UK Sheep Industry Structure0.1.5M replacements

1.4M replacements

5.8M Hill ewes 4.6M mules + other ½ bred

2.8M Hill lambs

4.2 M terminal x half bred

lambs7.0 M term x

lambs

14 M lamb slaughter

1.9 M cull ewes

4.7M Term x &½ bred ewes

0.2M replacements

Cows and sheep produce methane

Rumen MicrobiologyPlant energy sources

(polysaccharides e.g cellulose) Sugars(6 C)

Pyruvate(3 C)

Microbe

action

2H2

CO2

Acetate(2 C)

Butyrate4 C

Propionate3 C

Lactate(3C)

CH4

Methane

GWP of Beef and Lamb

UK Beef

UK Lamb

Pork

14.6 4.0

23.322

Chicken Potato

GWP t CO2 Eq 13.9 2.7

16.9

0.15

Primary energy use GJ/t

31.3 1.4

We certainly have a PR challenge!!

BUT there are good reasons to produce beef and lamb…

and we can get more efficient

Defra require 11% reduction from current by 2020

Sheep GWP100 CO2 eqBaseline

GWP100 kg CO2 eq/ kg

Hill 18.44

Upland 16.62

Lowland 13.82

-11% 2020 targetGWP100 kg CO2 eq/ kg

16.41

14.79

12.30

Beef GWP100 CO2 eqBaseline

GWP100 kg CO2 eq/ kg

Lowland suckler

17.12

Hill/ Upland suckler

16.98

Dairy beef 10.97

-11% 2020 targetGWP100 kg CO2 eq/ kg

15.24

15.11

9.76

We know how to improve!!

1. Increase feed efficiency 2. Increase fertility3. Increase longevity

AND this will also improve your margins!

Herd efficiency improvements to achieve a 11% saving in GWP100

0.2

0.25

0.3

0.35

0.4

0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12

Increase in calves per cow

Increase in liveweight

gain (kg/day)

Flock efficiency improvements to achieve a 11% saving in GWP100

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2

Increase in growth rate %

Additional lambs per ewe

Select better animals •Feed utilisation efficiency is heritable

•Productivity (milk production and meat growth) are heritable

•Fertility, Disease Resistance and Longevity are heritable

Change the type of feed Feed ME MJ/kg DM CP g/100g DM

Maize Grain 14.3 10.0Field Beans 13.8 29.0Wheat Distillers' Grains 13.5 32.0Barley grain 13.2 12.1Oats 12.2 11.0Maize Silage 13.0 8.0Grass silage 9-11 12-16Hay 8.0 12.0Straw 6.0 2.0

Incr

easi

ng d

iges

tibili

ty

Change the feed quality

High Sugar Ryegrass

Lower protein Clover

Change the feed quality

Manage sward height effectively

DM yield and ME changes with time/date

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

10000

20-Apr 30-Apr 10-May 20-May 30-May 09-Jun

Cutting Date

kg D

M/ h

a

8

8.5

9

9.5

10

10.5

11

11.5

ME/

kg D

M

DM yield kg/ha ME/ kg DM

Manage resources better

Natural resources

Soil, climate, feed production

Animal resources

Breed and cross

Match genetics to resources

System Choices

When to calve/ lamb

When to house (or not)

Conclusions

• Cattle and sheep produce valuable products for human consumption but at a GHG “cost”

• The GHG cost can be reduced considerably if we apply what we already know

• There are large areas of the UK which cannot reasonably produce food for people unless cattle (or sheep) are the vehicle

• Unless consumer behaviour changes reducing production at home will simply export the problem

Conclusions

• As an industry we have to OWN this issue.

• We can and should make a contribution to reducing the C footprint of production

• We should robustly defend the role of ruminants in food production, habitat management and landscape management.

• EBLEX are working on a Beef and Lamb roadmap to put these elements into context.