2 research outputs found
MEASURING GHG EMISSIONS ACROSS THE AGRI-FOOD SECTOR VALUE CHAIN: THE DEVELOPMENT OF BIO - A BIO-ECONOMY INPUT-OUTPUT MODEL
peer-reviewedSustainable intensification is one of the greatest challenges facing the agri-food sector which needs to produce
more food to meet increasing global demand, while minimising negative environmental impacts such as
agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Sustainable intensification relates not just to primary production,
but also has wider value chain implications. An input-output model is a modelling framework which contains
the flows across a value chain within a country. Input-output (IO) models have been disaggregated to have
finer granular detail in relation to agricultural sub-sectoral value chains. National IO models with limited
agricultural disaggregation have been developed to look at carbon footprints and within agriculture to look at
the carbon footprint of specific value chains. In this paper we adapt an agriculturally disaggregated IO model to
analyse the source of emissions in different components of agri-food value chains. We focus on Ireland, where
emissions from agriculture comprise nearly 30% of national emissions and where there has been a major
expansion and transformation in agriculture since the abolition of milk quota restrictions. In a substantial
Annex to this paper, we describe the modelling assumptions made in developing this model. Breaking up the
value chain into components, we find that most value is generated at the processing stage of the value chain,
with greater processing value in more sophisticated value chains such as dairy processing. On the other hand,
emissions are in general highest in primary production, albeit emissions from purchased animal feed being
higher for poultry than for other value chains, given the lower direct emissions from poultry than from
ruminants or sheep. The analysis highlights that emissions per unit of output are much higher for beef and
sheep meat value chains than for pig and poultry meat value chains