Beef systems of varying intensity and land use have different rankings in terms of carbon and food output metrics

RICCI, P.; WILSON, R.; HYSLOP, J.; JOHNSON, S.; REES, R.; WATERHOUSE, A.

Edimburgo

Conferencia; Sustainable intensification: the pathway to low carbon farming?; 2013

Scotland's Rural College - Carbon management centre

There is considerable debate about the challenges of producing food and reducing net carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in ruminant livestock systems. Land has the potential for the production of livestock products, for livestock feed, for food for direct human consumption or for alternative non-food products. To investigate the relationships between choices in the use of the land of different types and choices of intensity of management, a series of simulated upland beef and cereal farming systems were used to model agricultural inputs/outputs and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This paper demonstrates that ?sustainable intensification? of livestock production should be accompanied by ?rational use of the land? in order to reduce the carbon burden of these systems and increase food production.