Strategies for lowering milk carbon footprints in small-scale dairy farming: A Kenyan perspective

Kenya's dairy cattle sector accounts for approximately 15% of the country's total greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE), emphasising the critical need to endorse sustainable dairy production strategies to enhance productivity and ameliorate environmental performance. This study aims to assess milk carbon...

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Autores principales: Gonzalez-Quintero, Ricardo, Dusingizimana, Petronille, Notenbaert, An
Formato: Ponencia
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: 2024
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/155559
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author Gonzalez-Quintero, Ricardo
Dusingizimana, Petronille
Notenbaert, An
author_browse Dusingizimana, Petronille
Gonzalez-Quintero, Ricardo
Notenbaert, An
author_facet Gonzalez-Quintero, Ricardo
Dusingizimana, Petronille
Notenbaert, An
author_sort Gonzalez-Quintero, Ricardo
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Kenya's dairy cattle sector accounts for approximately 15% of the country's total greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE), emphasising the critical need to endorse sustainable dairy production strategies to enhance productivity and ameliorate environmental performance. This study aims to assess milk carbon footprint (CF) reductions through an ex-ante evaluation of mitigation interventions scenarios for 96 dairy farms in Kenya using a "cradle to farm-gate" Life Cycle Assessment approach. Global warming potentials for a 100-year time horizon were considered: 27.2 for methane and 273 for nitrous oxide. The functional unit was defined as 1 kg fat and protein-corrected milk (FPCM). The biophysical allocation approach from the IDF Global Carbon Footprint Standard for the Dairy Sector 2022 was used. Data were gathered through a semi-structured survey conducted across 96 small-scale dairy farms in Nandi and Uasin Gishu Counties. Annual on-farm and off-farm emissions were estimated using the 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC guidelines, databases, and local emission factors. In each farm, 6 scenarios were modeled as mitigation strategies: (S1) Improved feeding combined with a 10% increase in milk productivity; (S2) Improved feeding combined with a 20% increase in milk productivity; (S3) Improved feeding combined with a 30% increase in milk productivity; (S4) Removal of males from the herd combined with improved feeding and a 10% increase in milk productivity; (S5) Removal of males from the herd combined with improved feeding and a 20% increase in milk productivity; (S6) Removal of males from the herd combined with improved feeding and a 30% increase in milk productivity. In the improved feeding intervention, natural pasture intake was reduced by 50%, and replaced with Brachiaria Mulato II for its superior nutritional characteristics. On average, milk CF was 3.0 and 2.6 kgCO2eq kgFPCM-1 in Nandi and Uasin Gishu, respectively. CF reductions for each intervention scenario in both counties were as follows: (S1) 14 and 15%; (S2) 20 and 21%; (S3) 25 and 26%; (S4) 21 and 22%; (S5) 26 and 27%; and (S7) 31%. To conclude, milk CF reductions are achievable through measures like enhancing diet quality, increasing milk yields, and culling unproductive male animals from the herd.
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spelling CGSpace1555592025-11-05T11:43:48Z Strategies for lowering milk carbon footprints in small-scale dairy farming: A Kenyan perspective Gonzalez-Quintero, Ricardo Dusingizimana, Petronille Notenbaert, An climate change cambio climático mitigación greenhouse gas emissions ganadería gases de efecto invernadero mitigation milk by-products-dairy byproducts cattle life cycle producto lácteo Kenya's dairy cattle sector accounts for approximately 15% of the country's total greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE), emphasising the critical need to endorse sustainable dairy production strategies to enhance productivity and ameliorate environmental performance. This study aims to assess milk carbon footprint (CF) reductions through an ex-ante evaluation of mitigation interventions scenarios for 96 dairy farms in Kenya using a "cradle to farm-gate" Life Cycle Assessment approach. Global warming potentials for a 100-year time horizon were considered: 27.2 for methane and 273 for nitrous oxide. The functional unit was defined as 1 kg fat and protein-corrected milk (FPCM). The biophysical allocation approach from the IDF Global Carbon Footprint Standard for the Dairy Sector 2022 was used. Data were gathered through a semi-structured survey conducted across 96 small-scale dairy farms in Nandi and Uasin Gishu Counties. Annual on-farm and off-farm emissions were estimated using the 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC guidelines, databases, and local emission factors. In each farm, 6 scenarios were modeled as mitigation strategies: (S1) Improved feeding combined with a 10% increase in milk productivity; (S2) Improved feeding combined with a 20% increase in milk productivity; (S3) Improved feeding combined with a 30% increase in milk productivity; (S4) Removal of males from the herd combined with improved feeding and a 10% increase in milk productivity; (S5) Removal of males from the herd combined with improved feeding and a 20% increase in milk productivity; (S6) Removal of males from the herd combined with improved feeding and a 30% increase in milk productivity. In the improved feeding intervention, natural pasture intake was reduced by 50%, and replaced with Brachiaria Mulato II for its superior nutritional characteristics. On average, milk CF was 3.0 and 2.6 kgCO2eq kgFPCM-1 in Nandi and Uasin Gishu, respectively. CF reductions for each intervention scenario in both counties were as follows: (S1) 14 and 15%; (S2) 20 and 21%; (S3) 25 and 26%; (S4) 21 and 22%; (S5) 26 and 27%; and (S7) 31%. To conclude, milk CF reductions are achievable through measures like enhancing diet quality, increasing milk yields, and culling unproductive male animals from the herd. 2024-09-12 2024-10-24T11:08:01Z 2024-10-24T11:08:01Z Presentation https://hdl.handle.net/10568/155559 en Open Access application/pdf Gonzalez-Quintero, R.; Dusingizimana, P.; Notenbaert, A. (2024) Strategies for lowering milk carbon footprints in small-scale dairy farming: A Kenyan perspective. Presented at Tropentag: Explore opportunities... for managing natural resources and a better life for all, on 11-13 September 2024 in Vienna (Austria). 14 sl.
spellingShingle climate change
cambio climático
mitigación
greenhouse gas emissions
ganadería
gases de efecto invernadero
mitigation
milk by-products-dairy byproducts
cattle
life cycle
producto lácteo
Gonzalez-Quintero, Ricardo
Dusingizimana, Petronille
Notenbaert, An
Strategies for lowering milk carbon footprints in small-scale dairy farming: A Kenyan perspective
title Strategies for lowering milk carbon footprints in small-scale dairy farming: A Kenyan perspective
title_full Strategies for lowering milk carbon footprints in small-scale dairy farming: A Kenyan perspective
title_fullStr Strategies for lowering milk carbon footprints in small-scale dairy farming: A Kenyan perspective
title_full_unstemmed Strategies for lowering milk carbon footprints in small-scale dairy farming: A Kenyan perspective
title_short Strategies for lowering milk carbon footprints in small-scale dairy farming: A Kenyan perspective
title_sort strategies for lowering milk carbon footprints in small scale dairy farming a kenyan perspective
topic climate change
cambio climático
mitigación
greenhouse gas emissions
ganadería
gases de efecto invernadero
mitigation
milk by-products-dairy byproducts
cattle
life cycle
producto lácteo
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/155559
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AT notenbaertan strategiesforloweringmilkcarbonfootprintsinsmallscaledairyfarmingakenyanperspective