41,220 research outputs found

    Carbon Footprint Assessment and Mitigation Options of Dairy under Chinese Conditions

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    With the rapid human population growth and economic development, demand for animal products continues to increase and livestock production rapidly expands. Greenhouse gases (GHG) emission from livestock research 7.52 billion tons CO2-eq per year, accounting for 50% of agricultural emissions and 18% of global anthropogenic GHG emissions (FAO, 2014), making it become an important source of GHG emissions. The Chinese livestock production emits 373 GHG of million tons CO2-eq. Methane (CH4) emitted from enteric fermentation is 10.74 million tons (equivalent to 225.6 million tons CO2-eq), accounting for 60.7% of total livestock GHG emissions. CH4 emitted from manure management is 3.33 million tons (equivalent to 69.9 million tons CO2-eq), accounting for 18.9% of total livestock GHG emissions. Nitrous oxide (N2O) emitted from manure management is 0.25 million tons (equivalent to 77.2 million tons CO2-eq), accounted for 20.4% of the total livestock GHG emissions (MEE, 2018). The enteric fermentation and manure management contribute 40% to agricultural GHG emissions. Expansion of livestock production results in high demand of feedstuffs, bringing greater pressure on natural resources. It is of particular concern that the livestock sector has already been a major user of natural resources. For example, approximately 35% of total cropland and 20% of green water have been used for animal feed production (Opio et al., 2013). Feed-related emissions represent about half of total emissions from livestock supply chains (Gerber et al., 2013). Therefore, it is very important to evaluate GHG emissions from the whole life cycle of livestock production. Besides improved manure utilization and water usage efficiency, management of carbon emissions and carbon footprint is highlighted as an important research topic. This project is expected to identify and execute appropriate interventions for reducing carbon footprint and economic cost of dairy production

    Carbon Footprint Assessment and Mitigation Options of Dairy under Chinese Conditions

    Get PDF
    With the rapid human population growth and economic development, demand for animal products continues to increase and livestock production rapidly expands. Greenhouse gases (GHG) emission from livestock research 7.52 billion tons CO2-eq per year, accounting for 50% of agricultural emissions and 18% of global anthropogenic GHG emissions (FAO, 2014), making it become an important source of GHG emissions. The Chinese livestock production emits 373 GHG of million tons CO2-eq. Methane (CH4) emitted from enteric fermentation is 10.74 million tons (equivalent to 225.6 million tons CO2-eq), accounting for 60.7% of total livestock GHG emissions. CH4 emitted from manure management is 3.33 million tons (equivalent to 69.9 million tons CO2-eq), accounting for 18.9% of total livestock GHG emissions. Nitrous oxide (N2O) emitted from manure management is 0.25 million tons (equivalent to 77.2 million tons CO2-eq), accounted for 20.4% of the total livestock GHG emissions (MEE, 2018). The enteric fermentation and manure management contribute 40% to agricultural GHG emissions. Expansion of livestock production results in high demand of feedstuffs, bringing greater pressure on natural resources. It is of particular concern that the livestock sector has already been a major user of natural resources. For example, approximately 35% of total cropland and 20% of green water have been used for animal feed production (Opio et al., 2013). Feed-related emissions represent about half of total emissions from livestock supply chains (Gerber et al., 2013). Therefore, it is very important to evaluate GHG emissions from the whole life cycle of livestock production. Besides improved manure utilization and water usage efficiency, management of carbon emissions and carbon footprint is highlighted as an important research topic. This project is expected to identify and execute appropriate interventions for reducing carbon footprint and economic cost of dairy production

    Prioritising the best use of biomass resources: conceptualising trade-offs

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    02.09.13 KB. Ok to add report to Spiral. Authors hold copyrightUsing biomass to provide energy services is one of the most versatile options for increasing the proportion of renewable energy in the existing system. This report reviews metrics used to compare alternative bio-energy pathways and identifies limitations inherent in the way that they are calculated and interpreted. It also looks at how companies and investors approach strategic decisions in the bio-energy area. Bio-energy pathways have has physical and economic attributes that can be measured or modelled. These include: the capital cost, operating cost, emissions to air, land and water. Conceptually, comparing alternative pathways is as simple as selecting the attributes and metrics you consider to be most important and ranking the alternative pathways accordingly. At an abstract level there is good agreement about which features of bio-energy pathways are desirable, but there is little agreement about which performance metrics best capture all the relevant information about a bio-energy pathway. Between studies there is also a great deal of variation and this impedes comparison. Common metrics describe energetic performance, economic performance, environmental performance (emissions, land and water use), and social and ecological performance. Compound metrics may be used to integrate multiple attributes but their highly aggregate nature may make them difficult to interpret. Insights that may be drawn from the analysis include:

    100% Organic Livestock Feeds – preparing for 2005

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    A project entitled “100% Organic Livestock Feeds – Preparing for 2005” looking at the implications for organic farmers of the removal of the current derogation to use a percentage of non-organic livestock feeds. 1) Researching the required volume of feed stuff, in particular protein crops, and potential for feed production within Wales. 2) Researching the suitability of alternative protein sources, and evaluating livestock systems regarding the potential for a reduction in energy and protein levels. 3) Proposing strategies for the development and stimulation of the industry

    Twin-screw extrusion impact on natural fibre morphology and material properties in poly(lactic acid) based biocomposites

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    Natural fibres from miscanthus and bamboo were added to poly(lactic acid) by twin-screw extrusion. The influence of extruder screw speed and of total feeding rate was studied first on fibre morphology and then on mechanical and thermal properties of injected biocomposites. Increasing the screw speed from 100 to 300 rpm such as increasing the feeding rate in the same time up to 40 kg/h helped to preserve fibre length. Indeed, if shear rate was increased with higher screw speeds, residence time in the extruder and blend viscosity were reduced. However, such conditions doubled electrical energy spent by produced matter weight without significant effect on material properties. The comparison of four bamboo grades with various fibre sizes enlightened that fibre breakages were more consequent when longer fibres were added in the extruder. Longer fibres were beneficial for material mechanical properties by increasing flexural strength, while short fibres restrained material deformation under heat by promoting crystallinity and hindering more chain mobility

    LONG-TERM PROJECTIONS OF CHINA'S SUPPLY AND DEMAND OF ANIMAL FEEDSTUFFS

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    This paper was presented at the INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS SYMPOSIUM in Auckland, New Zealand, January 18-19, 2001. The Symposium was sponsored by: the International Agricultural Trade Research Consortium, the Venture Trust, Massey University, New Zealand, and the Centre for Applied Economics and Policy Studies, Massey University. Dietary changes, especially in developing countries, are driving a massive increase in demand for livestock products. The objective of this symposium was to examine the consequences of this phenomenon, which some have even called a "revolution." How are dietary patterns changing, and can increased demands for livestock products be satisfied from domestic resources? If so, at what cost? What will be the flow-on impacts, for example, in terms of increased demands for feedgrains and the pressures for change within marketing systems? A supply-side response has been the continued development of large-scale, urban-based industrial livestock production systems that in many cases give rise to environmental concerns. If additional imports seem required, where will they originate and what about food security in the importing regions? How might market access conditions be re-negotiated to make increased imports achievable? Other important issues discussed involved food safety, animal health and welfare and the adoption of biotechnology, and their interactions with the negotiation of reforms to domestic and trade policies. Individual papers from this conference are available on AgEcon Search. If you would like to see the complete agenda and set of papers from this conference, please visit the IATRC Symposium web page at: http://www1.umn.edu/iatrc.intro.htmDemand and Price Analysis, Production Economics,

    A Half-Century of Productivity Growth and Structural Change in Canadian Agriculture: An Overview

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    The primary agriculture sector in Canada experienced impressive productivity growth over the 1961-2007 period, outperforming by far productivity growth seen in the Canadian business sector as a whole. In the period in question, the agriculture sector also experienced profound structural changes, from the massive decline in the use of labour input due to mechanization, to the increased use of intermediate inputs (such as fertilizers and pesticides) in the production process. The objective of this article is to highlight some of the most important structural changes observed by Canadian agriculture over the past 50 years, and link them to the robust productivity growth in the sector.

    Integrating Market Based Instruments for Pollution Control - Strategic Option for Enhancing Competitiveness within Energy Industry -

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    The paper aims to emphasize the efficiency of using market based instruments for both reducing pollution and enhancing competitiveness within the energy industry. Given the previous experience of European countries, as well as the characteristics of the main market based instruments, the paper is focused on developing two alternatives for combining green certificates schemes, white certificates schemes and emissions trading schemes (black certificates schemes) in strategic options, aiming to increase the competitiveness of the energy industry and to decrease the emissions generated within this field. Each strategic option presented includes an integration scheme, as well as the main advantages and disadvantages deriving from the implementation of these mechanisms. The paper also demonstrates that an integrated market based instruments’ scheme is more efficient and even cost-effective than using single instruments. The whole analysis places a higher focus on white certificates, as these are the more recent market based instrument for enhancing competitiveness within energy industry.competitiveness, energy industry, green certificates, market based instruments, pollution control, white certificates.
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