GHG emissions from the global pork sector IMS

GHG emissions from the global pork sector IMS Pork Committee, 14 June 2014 Neil Fraser, Chair, Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock

Acknowledgements • • • Pierre Gerber Carolyn Opio Benjamin Henderson Anne Mottet Jeroen Dijkman Harinder Makkar Alexander Hristov (PSU) Michael Mac. Leod (SRUC) Theun Vellinga (WUR) Henning Steinfeld 2

FAO’s work on GHG emissions in the livestock sector • Goal: identify low emission pathways for the livestock sector • Specific objectives: – Produce disaggregated assessments of global GHG emissions and related mitigation potential – Carry out economic analyses of mitigation costs and benefits – Engage in multi-stakeholder initiatives on methods and practice change

Global Livestock Environment Assessment Model – GLEAM: main features • • • Life Cycle Assessment based modelling Cradle to retail, all major sources of emissions included Computes emissions at local level (cells on a map) Can generate averages and ranges at different scales Developed at FAO, in collaboration with other partners • Allows for scenario analysis • Currently used for the quantification of GHG emissions; will be expanded to other livestock-environment interactions (e. g. land use, nutrients, water)

Total livestock emissions: 7. 1 Gt CO 2 eq. per year

Range of GHG emission intensities for livestock commodities

Relative contribution to emissions from pig supply chains by source Total contribution: 0. 7 Gt CO 2 eq. or 9 percent of livestock emissions

Regional variation in pork production and GHG emissions intensities

Global pig production and emissions by system

Pork: emission intensity by main system • Emissions from feed production and manure management dominate in all 3 systems • Backyard – highest on-farm emissions, but lowest overall EI - why? - Low FCR, low digestibility of the ration>high Volatile solids and N excretion - Feed CO 2 eq. low due to: no LUC associated with feed - Negligible emissions from post-farm, direct or embedded energy, and greater use of swill and waste crops • Why is intermediate higher than industrial? - lower Feed conversion ratios - lower digestibility ration - Rice a large share of feed ration; high CH 4 emissions from rice production

Observations • Strong role of feed-related emissions, manure management and energy use in pig supply chains • In backyard systems, high emissions are off-set by lower feed emissions • Emissions are losses (of energy and nitrogen): emission intensity is a reflection of resource use efficiency

What are the main strategies for the reduction of emission intensities? – animal level: feed balancing, health, genetics – production unit level: source low Ei feed and energy – supply chain level: energy use efficiency, waste minimization and recycling

Main findings 1. The livestock sector plays an important role in climate change. GHG emissions are estimated at 7. 1 Gt. CO 2 -eq per year, about 14. 5 percent of all human-induced emissions. 2. Emissions from the pork subsector are estimated at 0. 7 Gt. CO 2 -eq per year, respectively 3. The sector’s emissions could be brought down by about 30 percent just through the wider use of existing best practices and technologies. 4. Substantial emission reductions can be achieved across all species, systems and regions. 5. Strong correlation between mitigation and resource use efficiency: possible environmental co-benefits. 6. Strong correlation between mitigation and productivity gains, especially among ruminant systems operating at low productivity. 7. Implementation will require education, awareness raising and incentives for technology transfer.