Global versus local environmental impacts of grazing and confined beef production systems
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In this article, carbon footprint, fossil fuel energy use, soil erosion, nutrient imbalance, and risk of pesticide contamination for five real beef background-finishing systems with increasing levels of intensification in Uruguay, which were combinations of grazing rangelands (RL), seeded pastures (SP), and confined in feedlot (FL).Abstract:
Carbon footprint is a key indicator of the contribution of food production to climate change and its importance is increasing worldwide. Although it has been used as a sustainability index for assessing production systems, it does not take into account many other biophysical environmental dimensions more relevant at the local scale, such as soil erosion, nutrient imbalance, and pesticide contamination. We estimated carbon footprint, fossil fuel energy use, soil erosion, nutrient imbalance, and risk of pesticide contamination for five real beef background-finishing systems with increasing levels of intensification in Uruguay, which were combinations of grazing rangelands (RL), seeded pastures (SP), and confined in feedlot (FL). Carbon footprint decreased from 16.7 (RL?RL) to 6.9?kg (SP?FL) CO2 eq kg body weight?1 (BW; ?eq?: equivalent). Energy use was zero for RL?RL and increased up to 17.3 MJ kg BW?1 for SP?FL. Soil erosion values varied from 7.7 (RL?RL) to 14.8?kg of soil kg BW?1 (SP?FL). Nitrogen and phosphorus nutrient balances showed surpluses for systems with seeded pastures and feedlots while RL?RL was deficient. Pesticide contamination risk was zero for RL?RL, and increased up to 21.2 for SP?FL. For the range of systems studied with increasing use of inputs, trade-offs were observed between global and local environmental problems. These results demonstrate that several indicators are needed to evaluate the sustainability of livestock production systems.read more
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Journal ArticleDOI
Comparing environmental impacts of beef production systems: A review of life cycle assessments
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors compared 14 studies that compared contrasting systems using life cycle assessment (LCA) using three main characteristics of beef production: origin of calves (bred by a dairy cow or a suckler cow), type of production (organic or non-organic) and type of diet fed to fattening calves.
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Land use change and ecosystem service provision in Pampas and Campos grasslands of southern South America
Pablo Modernel,Pablo Modernel,W.A.H. Rossing,Marc Corbeels,Santiago Dogliotti,Valentin Picasso,Valentin Picasso,Pablo Tittonell,Pablo Tittonell +8 more
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Sustainability of meat production beyond carbon footprint: a synthesis of case studies from grazing systems in Uruguay
Valentin Picasso,Pablo Modernel,Pablo Modernel,Gonzalo Becona,Lucía Salvo,Lucía Gutiérrez,Laura Astigarraga +6 more
TL;DR: This analysis of fifteen beef grazing systems in Uruguay quantifies the range of variation of carbon footprint, and the trade-offs with other relevant environmental variables, using a partial life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology.
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Ethical aspects of life cycle assessments of diets
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Environmental impacts of extensive and intensive beef production systems in Thailand evaluated by life cycle assessment
Akifumi Ogino,Kritapon Sommart,Sayan Subepang,Makoto Mitsumori,Keisuke Hayashi,Takahiro Yamashita,Yasuo Tanaka +6 more
TL;DR: In this article, the authors assessed and compared the environmental impacts of extensive and intensive beef production systems in northeastern Thailand, using life cycle assessment (LCA), and the authors defined the functional unit as 1 kg of marketed beef cattle.
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