With efficient livestock production systems operational in NI, it would be “madness” to impose cuts to numbers in order to achieve climate change targets and end up importing more food, a representative from a leading UK supermarket chain has said.
Addressing a CAFRE conference on carbon emissions held at Greenmount last Thursday, Asda NI head of corporate affairs, Joe McDonald said he hoped the food supply chain in the UK would be “more sophisticated than to end up making that blunder”.
He also pointed to the 2015 Paris Climate agreement, which mentions the importance of protecting food production when reducing emissions, and how consumers have responded to claims made about the high carbon footprint of livestock products.
“In red meat, the sales of plant-based alternatives have completely flatlined,” he said.
Top priority
However, climate change remains a top priority for the retailer and in 2021 it set out an ambition to be net zero for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2040. According to McDonald, Asda is “well on track” to meet targets relating to its own direct and indirect emissions (known as Scope 1 and 2 emissions). But for those emissions within its supply chain (known as Scope 3), which takes in the likes of farms, “that is the tricky bit,” he acknowledged.
At present, an estimated 51% of Asda emissions relate to farming and food processing and getting those emissions down can only be done in partnership with processors and producers, said McDonald.
He suggested that a key to that could be a new Food Data Transparency Partnership between the UK government and food industry, which aims to develop clear proposals to measure and communicate carbon emissions in the food system. Ultimately, that is going to require farmers to record data, so will major supermarkets pay for this information and pass on this cost via higher food prices?
“Where a processor comes to the retailer looking for cost price increases, the retailer needs to look at the impact on the market. Every day of the week we have 18m customers who incessantly demand value-for-money,” responded McDonald.
He added that where food producers are recording information and providing “good data”, it will put them in a strong position to do business going forward.
Feed additive key to cutting CAFRE emissions
Analysis by CAFRE advisers suggests that the inclusion of a methane-suppressing feed additive in dairy rations would deliver the largest single reduction in GHG emissions from the Greenmount dairy herd.
The 181-cow herd is currently producing 8,679l off 2.47t of concentrate, with a replacement rate of 27%, an average calving interval of 384 days and average age at first calving of 24.7 months.
Total emissions from the herd, when expressed on the basis of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e – a term used to describe the climate impact of different GHGs in a common unit) is 2,193t. That leaves an emission intensity figure of 1.23kg CO2e/l, which is below the NI average of 1.38kg, but slightly above the 1.18kg recorded by the top 25% of NI dairy farms.
According to Alan Agnew from CAFRE, there are changes that can be made which will reduce the carbon intensity figure at Greenmount.
Those changes include better grazing management leading to an improved milk from forage figure (currently 3,192l) and reducing the replacement rate by focusing on cow longevity.
In addition there are opportunities to improve herd health and genetics, while staff at Greenmount have also been working on establishing clover across the main grazing block.
Impact
But the reality for efficiently run dairy herds across NI, is that these changes have a relatively small impact on the emissions intensity figure. Instead, the main gain to be potentially had is when a feed additive is added to the total mixed ration (TMR).
Over this past winter, Greenmount has included Bovaer (3-NOP) in the TMR which acts to block an enzyme which produces methane in the rumen.
“It is very difficult to assess its effect, although we know it is not harming the cow,” said Agnew.
The analysis by CAFRE assumes that cows fed the additive will produce 27% to 28% less methane, although that reduction can’t be achieved when cows are at grass.
Despite that, in the Greenmount situation, the feed additive potentially delivers a greater emissions reduction than all other management factors combined. Taking everything together, the analysis suggests it is possible to cut total farm emissions by 13%.
Sequester
However, there are also opportunities to sequester carbon in soils, hedges and trees.
Allowing hedges at Greenmount to grow wider and taller delivers a small benefit of 9.4t CO2e while improving soil organic matter and, therefore, soil carbon, could sequester an additional 115.5t. Finally, with improvements made in cow longevity, less heifers need to be retained, freeing up 4.5ha to be put into trees, sequestering a further 63t. Overall, the net emissions figure is down 21%, or 465t CO2e.
“Yes, you can achieve this, yes the changes are practical and yes, most are cost-effective. But it is not an easy win,” said Agnew.
Expansion
He also pointed out that when farmers improved efficiency in the past, it traditionally led to expansion and increased output, but that might not be the right approach now, given other environmental pressures on the industry.
Since 1990, NI emissions per litre are down 37% and that has been driven by higher yields and more concentrate being fed. Milk output is up 85%, yet there are only 13% more dairy cows. But over the same period, gross emissions from the NI dairy industry have increased 20%, said Agnew.
Feed mills close in on carbon figure
The local feed trade has been involved in developing an EU standard which allows an accurate assessment to be made of the carbon footprint of feed ingredients, confirmed Jim Uprichard from Trouw Nutrition.
“We will get to the stage where feed mills will be putting a carbon number onto feed. It is maybe a couple of years away – we are not quite there yet,” he said.
That footprint includes data on growing and harvesting the crop, transport and subsequent processing at the mill.
Analysis shows that EU and North American crops tend to have a significantly lower carbon footprint than those from South America, especially where these crops are associated with land use change such as land taken out of forestry. Locally grown wheat has one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world.
However, while it is important to maximise the use of homegrown grain, we are constrained by land type and weather. NI currently produces 200,000t of wheat and barley off 80,000 acres, but would need 700,000t grown off 280,000 acres to meet current needs, said Uprichard.
“NI imports 90% of its ingredients. There is limited potential to produce more homegrown feed, especially proteins,” he added.
Assurance given on farm data
An industry-led group taking forward the rollout of carbon benchmarking on NI farms has “robust governance structures in place” to help ensure farm data will be properly utilised, confirmed Ian Stevenson, the CEO of the NI Dairy Council.
“The data is not intended for misuse – it is intended for the purpose it is being collected,” he said.
Ultimately, he maintained that dairy processors want to engage in the best paying markets and to do that requires the industry to work on reducing emissions.
“It is about going on a journey of improvement. It isn’t about identifying systems that are better than others – there is no pass or fail. It is about your baseline and how you can improve from that,” he said.
The plan is to roll out carbon benchmarking later this year, as part of a farm quality assurance inspection.
Afternoon session speakers were (from left) Jim Uprichard NIGTA; Martin Mulholland DAERA; Michaela Tener DAERA; Alan Agnew DAERA and Mike Johnston Carbon Farming Partnership. \ Houston Green
With efficient livestock production systems operational in NI, it would be “madness” to impose cuts to numbers in order to achieve climate change targets and end up importing more food, a representative from a leading UK supermarket chain has said.
Addressing a CAFRE conference on carbon emissions held at Greenmount last Thursday, Asda NI head of corporate affairs, Joe McDonald said he hoped the food supply chain in the UK would be “more sophisticated than to end up making that blunder”.
He also pointed to the 2015 Paris Climate agreement, which mentions the importance of protecting food production when reducing emissions, and how consumers have responded to claims made about the high carbon footprint of livestock products.
“In red meat, the sales of plant-based alternatives have completely flatlined,” he said.
Top priority
However, climate change remains a top priority for the retailer and in 2021 it set out an ambition to be net zero for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2040. According to McDonald, Asda is “well on track” to meet targets relating to its own direct and indirect emissions (known as Scope 1 and 2 emissions). But for those emissions within its supply chain (known as Scope 3), which takes in the likes of farms, “that is the tricky bit,” he acknowledged.
At present, an estimated 51% of Asda emissions relate to farming and food processing and getting those emissions down can only be done in partnership with processors and producers, said McDonald.
He suggested that a key to that could be a new Food Data Transparency Partnership between the UK government and food industry, which aims to develop clear proposals to measure and communicate carbon emissions in the food system. Ultimately, that is going to require farmers to record data, so will major supermarkets pay for this information and pass on this cost via higher food prices?
“Where a processor comes to the retailer looking for cost price increases, the retailer needs to look at the impact on the market. Every day of the week we have 18m customers who incessantly demand value-for-money,” responded McDonald.
He added that where food producers are recording information and providing “good data”, it will put them in a strong position to do business going forward.
Feed additive key to cutting CAFRE emissions
Analysis by CAFRE advisers suggests that the inclusion of a methane-suppressing feed additive in dairy rations would deliver the largest single reduction in GHG emissions from the Greenmount dairy herd.
The 181-cow herd is currently producing 8,679l off 2.47t of concentrate, with a replacement rate of 27%, an average calving interval of 384 days and average age at first calving of 24.7 months.
Total emissions from the herd, when expressed on the basis of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e – a term used to describe the climate impact of different GHGs in a common unit) is 2,193t. That leaves an emission intensity figure of 1.23kg CO2e/l, which is below the NI average of 1.38kg, but slightly above the 1.18kg recorded by the top 25% of NI dairy farms.
According to Alan Agnew from CAFRE, there are changes that can be made which will reduce the carbon intensity figure at Greenmount.
Those changes include better grazing management leading to an improved milk from forage figure (currently 3,192l) and reducing the replacement rate by focusing on cow longevity.
In addition there are opportunities to improve herd health and genetics, while staff at Greenmount have also been working on establishing clover across the main grazing block.
Impact
But the reality for efficiently run dairy herds across NI, is that these changes have a relatively small impact on the emissions intensity figure. Instead, the main gain to be potentially had is when a feed additive is added to the total mixed ration (TMR).
Over this past winter, Greenmount has included Bovaer (3-NOP) in the TMR which acts to block an enzyme which produces methane in the rumen.
“It is very difficult to assess its effect, although we know it is not harming the cow,” said Agnew.
The analysis by CAFRE assumes that cows fed the additive will produce 27% to 28% less methane, although that reduction can’t be achieved when cows are at grass.
Despite that, in the Greenmount situation, the feed additive potentially delivers a greater emissions reduction than all other management factors combined. Taking everything together, the analysis suggests it is possible to cut total farm emissions by 13%.
Sequester
However, there are also opportunities to sequester carbon in soils, hedges and trees.
Allowing hedges at Greenmount to grow wider and taller delivers a small benefit of 9.4t CO2e while improving soil organic matter and, therefore, soil carbon, could sequester an additional 115.5t. Finally, with improvements made in cow longevity, less heifers need to be retained, freeing up 4.5ha to be put into trees, sequestering a further 63t. Overall, the net emissions figure is down 21%, or 465t CO2e.
“Yes, you can achieve this, yes the changes are practical and yes, most are cost-effective. But it is not an easy win,” said Agnew.
Expansion
He also pointed out that when farmers improved efficiency in the past, it traditionally led to expansion and increased output, but that might not be the right approach now, given other environmental pressures on the industry.
Since 1990, NI emissions per litre are down 37% and that has been driven by higher yields and more concentrate being fed. Milk output is up 85%, yet there are only 13% more dairy cows. But over the same period, gross emissions from the NI dairy industry have increased 20%, said Agnew.
Feed mills close in on carbon figure
The local feed trade has been involved in developing an EU standard which allows an accurate assessment to be made of the carbon footprint of feed ingredients, confirmed Jim Uprichard from Trouw Nutrition.
“We will get to the stage where feed mills will be putting a carbon number onto feed. It is maybe a couple of years away – we are not quite there yet,” he said.
That footprint includes data on growing and harvesting the crop, transport and subsequent processing at the mill.
Analysis shows that EU and North American crops tend to have a significantly lower carbon footprint than those from South America, especially where these crops are associated with land use change such as land taken out of forestry. Locally grown wheat has one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world.
However, while it is important to maximise the use of homegrown grain, we are constrained by land type and weather. NI currently produces 200,000t of wheat and barley off 80,000 acres, but would need 700,000t grown off 280,000 acres to meet current needs, said Uprichard.
“NI imports 90% of its ingredients. There is limited potential to produce more homegrown feed, especially proteins,” he added.
Assurance given on farm data
An industry-led group taking forward the rollout of carbon benchmarking on NI farms has “robust governance structures in place” to help ensure farm data will be properly utilised, confirmed Ian Stevenson, the CEO of the NI Dairy Council.
“The data is not intended for misuse – it is intended for the purpose it is being collected,” he said.
Ultimately, he maintained that dairy processors want to engage in the best paying markets and to do that requires the industry to work on reducing emissions.
“It is about going on a journey of improvement. It isn’t about identifying systems that are better than others – there is no pass or fail. It is about your baseline and how you can improve from that,” he said.
The plan is to roll out carbon benchmarking later this year, as part of a farm quality assurance inspection.
Afternoon session speakers were (from left) Jim Uprichard NIGTA; Martin Mulholland DAERA; Michaela Tener DAERA; Alan Agnew DAERA and Mike Johnston Carbon Farming Partnership. \ Houston Green
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