Browsing by Subject "Dairy"

Efforts must be made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from dairy and beef production in order to curb climate change. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of milk yield, longevity, fertility and live weight of dairy cows, calf mortality and feeding of dairy cows on greenhouse gas emissions of dairy and beef production. The analysis was carried out by production systems and by the total bovine sector, with total annual milk and beef production in each scenario being constant. The research method used was the Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model (GLEAM) based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) developed by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). Calculations were made using the GLEAM-i -tool. The results showed that greenhouse gas emissions from milk production fell as average milk yield increased, cow longevity improved and live weight decreased. Decreased calf mortality or improved fertility of dairy herds did not affect milk output. The focus of beef production varied between the milk system and suckler cow production in the scenarios, which also led to a shift of greenhouse gas emissions from one system to another. Total bovine sector emissions decreased as average milk yields increased, cow fertility improved, calf mortality decreased and dairy cows live weight decreased. Increasing the proportion of concentraits in dairy cattle feeding reduced the greenhouse gas emissions of milk. Regarding feeding results, it should be noted that the calculation does not include land use change or carbon capture in feed production. Based on this study, it is possible to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of Finnish milk production and the main breeding goals of dairy cattle support the promotion of climate efficiency. The live weight of dairy cows should possibly be limited. However, the interconnectedness of milk and beef production should be taken into account and the changes in emissions in dairy and beef cattle should be monitored simultaneously.