Comparative carbon footprints of buffalo milk produced at smallholder and organised farms in Hisar district of Haryana, India

K I PORDHIY; GAUTAM

doi:10.56093/ijans.v93i04.122556

Authors

K I PORDHIY Polytechnic in Animal Husbandry, Kamdhenu University (affiliated), Khadasali, Gujarat
GAUTAM Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, Haryana

https://doi.org/10.56093/ijans.v93i04.122556

Keywords:

Buffalo milk, Carbon footprint, Commercial farms, LCA, Smallholder

Abstract

The present study was conducted to compare the carbon footprint of milk produced in 75 smallholder farms and two organised buffalo farms in Hisar district of Haryana using Life Cycle Assessment approach. Primary data was collected from farmers and farm managers for the study. Functional unit was one litre of milk with system boundary being ‘Cradle-to-farm gate’. Methodology prescribed by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was used for estimation of emissions from different sources. Secondary data was also relied upon for synthetic fertilizers and seeds, combustion of fossil fuel, production of concentrates and dry fodders. The average carbon footprint of milk produced in rural smallholder and organised farms were 3.54 and 4.53 kg CO₂-eq./L milk, respectively, indicating superiority of village level production systems. Methane from enteric fermentation was estimated to be contributing nearly half of the total greenhouse gas emissions. It is suggested that rural smallholder production systems should be favoured over organised ones given the lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

APAT. 2003. Analysis of CO2 emission factors from the transport sector. Available at http://www.ssc.it/pdf/2013/3906_Rapporti_03_28.pdf.

Banerjee G C. 2012. A Textbook of Animal Husbandry. Oxford & IBH.

Bannink A, Smits M C J, Kebreab E, Mills J A N, Ellis J L, Klop A, France J and Dijkstra J. 2010. Simulating the effects of grassland management and grass ensiling on methane emission from lactating cows. Journal of Agricultural Science 148: 55–72. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021859609990499

Bartl K, Gómez C A and Nemecek T. 2011. Life cycle assessment of milk produced in two smallholder dairy systems in the highlands and the coast of Peru. Journal of Cleaner Production 19: 1494–1505. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2011.04.010

Beauchemin K. 2013. Life Cycle Assessment–A holistic approach to assessing greenhouse gas emissions from beef and dairy production. Revista Argentina de Producción. Animal 32: 69–76.

Capper J L, Cady R A and Bauman D E. 2009. The environmental impact of dairy production: 1944 compared with 2007. Journal of Animal Science 87: 2160–67. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2009-1781

Casey J W and Holden N M. 2005. Analysis of greenhouse gas emissions from the average Irish milk production system. Agricultural Systems 86: 97–114. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2004.09.006

De Boer I J M. 2003. Environmental impact assessment of conventional and organic milk production. Livestock Production Science 80: 69–77. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0301-6226(02)00322-6

Ecoinvent 2.01. 2010. Ecoinvent data. Dübendorf, Switzerland: Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories (http://www.ecoinvent.org/).

FAO. 2011. World Livestock 2011 - Livestock in Food Security. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome.

Finnveden G, Hauschild M Z, Ekvall T, Guinée J, Heijungs R, Hellweg S, Koehler A, Pennington D and Suh S. 2009. Recent developments in life cycle assessment. Journal of Environmental Management 91(1): 1–21. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2009.06.018

Phetteplace H W, Johnson D E and Seidl A F. 2001. Greenhouse gas emissions from simulated beef and dairy livestock systems in the United States. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 60(1-3): 99–102.

Garg M R, Phondba B T, Sherasia P L and Makkar H P S. 2016. Carbon footprint of milk production under smallholder dairying in Anand district of Western India: a cradle-to-farm gate life cycle assessment. Animal Production Science 56: 423–36. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/AN15464

Gerber P, Vellinga T, Opio C, Henderson B and Steinfeld H. 2010. Greenhouse gas emissions from the dairy sector, a life cycle assessment. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Animal Production and Health Division, Rome.

Gerber P J, Steinfeld H, Henderson B, Mottet A, Opio C, Dijkman J, Falcucci A and Tempio G. 2013. Tackling climate change through livestock – A global assessment of emissions and mitigation opportunities. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome.

GoI. 2015. Agriculture contingency plan for district: Hisar. Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India.

Guinée J B, Gorree M, Heijungs R, Huppes G, Kleijn R, de Koning A, Van Oers L, Wegener Sleeswijk A, Suh S, Udo de Haes H A, de Brujin H, Van Duin R and Huijbregts M A J. 2002. Handbook on Life Cycle Assessment. An Operational Guide to the ISO Standards. Kluwar Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Netherlands.

IPCC. 2006. Emissions from livestock and manure management (Chapter 10) and Nitrous oxide emissions from managed soils, and carbon dioxide emissions from lime and urea application (Chapter 11). Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Program IGES. (Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories - Volume 4 Agriculture, Forestry and Other land use).

IPCC. 2007. Climate Change 2007 – The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (Eds) Solomon S, Qin D, Manning M, Chen Z, Marquis M, Averyt K B, Tignor M and Miller H L. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, pp. 996.

IPCC. 2013. Summary for Policymakers. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA. (Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). Available at: http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/#. UlKDceJvnMo [2014-03-14].

ISO. 2006. Environmental Management – Life Cycle Assessment – Principles and Framework (ISO 14040) and Environmental Management – Life Cycle Assessment – Requirements and Guidelines (ISO 14044). International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Geneva, Switzerland.

Kool A, Marinussen M and Blonk H. 2012. LCI data for the calculation tool Feedprint for greenhouse gas emissions of feed production and utilization. GHG Emissions of N, P and K fertilizer production. Blonk Consultants (Ed.).

McGeough E J, Little S M, Janzen H H, McAllister T A, McGinn S M and Beauchemin K A. 2012. Life-cycle assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from dairy production in Eastern Canada: A case study. Journal of Dairy Science 95(9): 5164–75. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2011-5229

MoEF. 2004. IINC-UNFCCC, India’s initial national communication to the United Nations framework convention on climate change. NATCOM Report, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. pp. 267.

Penati C, Sandrucci A, Tamburini A and de Boer I J M. 2010. Effect of farming system changes on life cycle assessment indicators for dairy farms in the Italian Alps. LCA Food 2010. Bari, 22-24. Italy.

Phetteplace H W, Johnson D E and Seidl A F. 2001. Greenhouse gas emissions from simulated beef and dairy livestock systems in the United States. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 60(1-3): 99–102. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012657230589

Pirlo G and Carè S. 2013. A simplified tool for estimating carbon footprint of dairy cattle milk. Italian Journal of Animal Science 12: 497–506. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4081/ijas.2013.e81

Pirlo G, Terzano G, Pacelli C, Abeni F and Carè S. 2014. Carbon Footprint of milk produced at Italian buffalo farms. Livestock science 161: 176–84. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2013.12.007

Rajaniemi M, Mikkola H and Ahokas J. 2011. Greenhouse gas emissions from oats, barley, wheat and rye production. Agronomy Research 9(1): 18.

Ranjhan S K. 1991. Chemical composition and nutritive value of Indian feeds and feeding of farm animals. Publications and Information Division, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, India.

Rotz C A, Montes F and Chianese D S. 2010. The carbon footprint of dairy production systems through partial life cycle assessment. Journal of Dairy Science 93: 1266–82. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2009-2162

Steinfeld H, Gerber P, Wassenaar T, Castel V, Rosales M and de Haan C. 2006. Livestock’s long shadow – Environmental issues and options. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome.

Thomas G, Popp J, Nutter D, Shonnard D, Ulrich R, Matlock M, Kim D S, Neiderman Z, Kemper N, East C and Adom F. 2013. Greenhouse gas emissions from milk production and consumption in the United States: A cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment. International Dairy Journal 31: S3–S14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idairyj.2012.08.013

Thomassen M A, Dalgaard R, Heijungs R and de Boer I J M. 2008. Attributional and consequential LCA of milk production. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 13: 339–49. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-008-0007-y

Thomassen M A, van Calker K J, Smits M C J, Iepema G L and de Boer I J M. 2008a. Life cycle assessment of conventional and organic milk production in the Netherlands. Agricultural Systems 96: 95–107. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2007.06.001

Vergé X P C, Dyer J A, Desjardins R L and Worth D. 2007. Greenhouse gas emissions from the Canadian dairy industry in 2001. Agricultural Systems 94: 683–93. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2007.02.008