Richard Eckard

Carbon myopia: The urgent need for integrated social, economic and environmental action in the livestock sector

Publisher: Wiley

Date: 29-08-2021

DOI: 10.1111/GCB.15816

Abstract: Livestock have long been integral to food production systems, often not by choice but by need. While our knowledge of livestock greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions mitigation has evolved, the prevailing focus has been—somewhat myopically—on technology applications associated with mitigation. Here, we (1) examine the global distribution of livestock GHG emissions, (2) explore social, economic and environmental co‐benefits and trade‐offs associated with mitigation interventions and (3) critique approaches for quantifying GHG emissions. This review uncovered many insights. First, while GHG emissions from ruminant livestock are greatest in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMIC globally, 66% of emissions are produced by Latin America and the Caribbean, East and southeast Asia and south Asia), the majority of mitigation strategies are designed for developed countries. This serious concern is heightened by the fact that 80% of growth in global meat production over the next decade will occur in LMIC. Second, few studies concurrently assess social, economic and environmental aspects of mitigation. Of the 54 interventions reviewed, only 16 had triple‐bottom line benefit with medium–high mitigation potential. Third, while efforts designed to stimulate the adoption of strategies allowing both emissions reduction (ER) and carbon sequestration (CS) would achieve the greatest net emissions mitigation, CS measures have greater potential mitigation and co‐benefits. The scientific community must shift attention away from the prevailing myopic lens on carbon, towards more holistic, systems‐based, multi‐metric approaches that carefully consider the raison d'être for livestock systems. Consequential life cycle assessments and systems‐aligned ‘socio‐economic planetary boundaries’ offer useful starting points that may uncover leverage points and cross‐scale emergent properties. The derivation of harmonized, globally reconciled sustainability metrics requires iterative dialogue between stakeholders at all levels. Greater emphasis on the simultaneous characterization of multiple sustainability dimensions would help avoid situations where progress made in one area causes maladaptive outcomes in other areas.

Review: Adaptation of ruminant livestock production systems to climate changes

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Date: 2018

DOI: 10.1017/S1751731118001301

IPCC Tier 1 methodology overestimates the carbon footprint of smallholder cattle production systems in Kenya

Publisher: Research Square Platform LLC

Date: 10-07-2023

DOI: 10.21203/RS.3.RS-3148140/V1

Abstract: Most Sub-Saharan countries still rely on the basic Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Tier 1 methodology for reporting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from their livestock sector. This approach is, however, associated with high uncertainty and cannot detect changes in GHG emissions resulting from mitigation interventions. The present study aimed to quantify the effect of replacing the IPCC Tier 1 methodology with Tier 2 approaches in assessing total farmgate GHG emissions and products' emission intensities (EIs) in smallholder cattle production in Western Kenya. Additionally, the study assessed the effect of using locally measured methane yield (MY) instead of regional defaults in Tier 2 estimations. A partial life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted using aggregated activity data from two contrasting study sites, one with moderately performing and another with low-performing cattle production systems. The total farmgate GHG emissions were allocated to the co-products, namely milk and live weight gain, using the novel energy expenditure allocation method, in comparison to the traditionally used protein mass allocation. Compared Tier 1 methodology, the use of Tier 2 approaches resulted in 18-44% lower total farmgate GHG emissions and milk EIs across the two study sites. When the IPCC regional MY default was substituted with locally measured MY, the total GHG emissions and milk EI increased by 19-25%. These findings suggest that the continued use of IPCC Tier 1 methodology or Tier 2 MY defaults by East African countries are resulting in considerable uncertainty in their livestock GHG inventory reporting. There is therefore a need for these developing nations to adopt higher-tier methodologies as well as measure and utilize locally relevant MY for more accurate inventory reporting and to be able to assess suitable GHG mitigation strategies for local cattle production systems. Additionally, the study found that the energy expenditure allocation method apportioned a lower proportion of GHG emissions to milk production compared to live weight gain, reflecting the greater nutrient use efficiency by cattle in producing milk than gaining weight. As developing countries are faced with the double challenge of increasing animal-sourced food to feed the growing population and a need to reduce GHG emissions associated with food production, it is sensible for these countries to report changes in product EIs rather than absolute emissions. It is, therefore, imperative to continually refine LCA methodology for more relevance in multifunctional smallholder systems for unbiased measurement of products' EIs from such systems.

Trends in wheat yields under representative climate futures: Implications for climate adaptation

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Date: 07-2018

DOI: 10.1016/J.AGSY.2017.12.007

Using Leaf Temperature to Improve Simulation of Heat and Drought Stresses in a Biophysical Model

Publisher: MDPI AG

Date: 19-12-2019

DOI: 10.3390/PLANTS9010008

Abstract: Despite evidence that leaf temperatures can differ by several degrees from the air, crop simulation models are generally parameterised with air temperatures. Leaf energy budget is a process-based approach that can be used to link climate and physiological processes of plants, but this approach has rarely been used in crop modelling studies. In this study, a controlled environment experiment was used to validate the use of the leaf energy budget approach to calculate leaf temperature for perennial pasture species, and a modelling approach was developed utilising leaf temperature instead of air temperature to achieve a better representation of heat stress impacts on pasture growth in a biophysical model. The controlled environment experiment assessed the impact of two combined seven-day heat (control = 25/15 °C, day/night, moderate = 30/20 °C, day/night, and severe = 35/25 °C, day/night) and drought stresses (with seven-day recovery period between stress periods) on perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) and chicory (Cichorium intybus L.). The leaf temperature of each species was modelled by using leaf energy budget equation and validated with measured data. All species showed limited homeothermy with the slope of 0.88 (P 0.05) suggesting that pasture plants can buffer temperature variations in their growing environment. The DairyMod biophysical model was used to simulate photosynthesis during each treatment, using both air and leaf temperatures, and the patterns were compared with measured data using a response ratio (effect size compared to the well-watered control). The effect size of moderate heat and well-watered treatment was very similar to the measured values (~0.65) when simulated using T leaf, while T air overestimated the consecutive heat stress impacts (0.4 and 0). These results were used to test the heat stress recovery function (Tsum) of perennial ryegrass in DairyMod, finding that recovery after heat stress was well reproduced when parameterized with T sum = 20, while T sum = 50 simulated a long lag phase. Long term pasture growth rate simulations under irrigated conditions in south eastern Australia using leaf temperatures predicted 6–34% and 14–126% higher pasture growth rates, respectively at Ellinbank and Dookie, during late spring and summer months compared to the simulations using air temperatures. This study demonstrated that the simulation of consecutive heat and/or drought stress impacts on pasture production, using DairyMod, can be improved by using leaf temperatures instead of air temperature.

Reducing enteric methane of ruminants in Australian grazing systems - a review of the role for temperate legumes and herbs

Publisher: CSIRO Publishing

Date: 20-02-2023

DOI: 10.1071/CP22299

Abstract: In Australia, 71% of agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are enteric methane (CH4), mostly produced by grazing sheep and cattle. Temperate low CH4 yielding legumes and herbs can mitigate enteric CH4 production, but system-level GHG emissions need to be considered. The aims of the study were to: (1) devise a framework to assess GHG reductions when introducing low CH4 yielding species (2) assess mechanisms of CH4 reduction in temperate legume and herb species for Australia (3) use a case study to demonstrate expected changes to system-level GHG emissions with the introduction of low CH4 yielding legumes and (4) identify knowledge gaps and research priorities. Results demonstrate lowering emissions intensity (kg CO2-equivalent/kg product) is crucial to mitigate GHG emissions, but livestock productivity is also important. Several pasture species have anti-methanogenic properties, but responses often vary considerably. Of the species investigated biserrula (Biserrula pelecinus) has great potential to reduce enteric CH4 emissions, but in a case study its emission intensity was similar to subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) but higher than lucerne (Medicago sativa). We conclude that there are temperate legumes and herbs with anti-methanogenic properties, and/or high productivity that could reduce total CH4 emissions and emissions intensity of ruminant livestock production. There is also great ersity in some plant genotypes that can be exploited, and this will be aided by more detailed understanding of plant secondary compounds associated with CH4 reduction. This review suggests an opportunity to formulate pasture species mixtures to achieve reduced CH4 emissions with greater or equal livestock production.

Evaluation of a novel salaried medical officer position on service provision and performance at a rural health service: An exploratory mixed‐methods study

Publisher: Wiley

Date: 21-12-2021

DOI: 10.1111/AJR.12807

Abstract: The objective of this study was to determine the impact of a new salaried medical officer position on health service provision and organisational performance. Health service staff were invited to complete a survey to ascertain their overall satisfaction with the salaried medical officer position and impact on their workflow. Purposive s ling identified respondents for interviews to further explore the experiences of health service staff. Financial, administrative and quality information was extracted for analysis. Medium size rural health service in Victoria, Australia. All general practitioner, nursing and allied health staff employed by, or who provide services to, the health service. Satisfaction with the salaried medical officer position, ability to address patient concerns, themes from interviews, organisational performance data. Forty surveys (general practitioner, nursing and allied health) were returned and 10 interviews completed. The mean rating for satisfaction with the salaried medical officer position was 8.4 out of 10. Addressing patient care concerns was rated significantly easier by nursing and allied health staff when the salaried medical officer was working. The interviews identified three broad themes: improved efficiency, increased accessibility and eliminated service gaps. Health service staff reported that a salaried medical officer position at a rural health service improved work efficiency, increased accessibility to timely medical advice and improved quality of care, particularly patients at risk of sudden deterioration.

An irrigated cotton farm emissions case study in NSW, Australia

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Date: 11-2017

DOI: 10.1016/J.AGSY.2017.09.005

Spatial variation in springtime temperature index values during ENSO and IOD events shows non-equivalent phase response for viticultural regions in Australia

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Date: 03-2018

DOI: 10.1016/J.AGRFORMET.2017.12.261

Grazing management for soil carbon in Australia: A review

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Date: 12-2023

DOI: 10.1016/J.JENVMAN.2023.119146

Comparative enteric-methane emissions of dairy farms in northern Victoria, Australia

Publisher: CSIRO Publishing

Date: 2023

DOI: 10.1071/AN22330

Influence of El Niño-Southern Oscillation and the Indian Ocean Dipole on winegrape maturity in Australia

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Date: 2018

DOI: 10.1016/J.AGRFORMET.2017.10.021

University Of Natal

Location: South Africa

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Department Of Agriculture

Location: South Africa

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University Of Melbourne

Location: Australia

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University Of Tasmania Tasmanian Institute Of Agriculture/Agricultural Science

Location: Australia

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Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE130100040

Start Date: 09-2013

End Date: 12-2014

Amount: $450,000.00

Funder: Australian Research Council

Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354511

Start Date: 12-2003

End Date: 12-2004

Amount: $10,000.00

Funder: Australian Research Council

Linkage Projects - Grant ID: LP0561000

Start Date: 2005

End Date: 12-2008

Amount: $144,844.00

Funder: Australian Research Council