The study aimed to assess the sustainability of the dairy farms in mountainous areas combining the environmental impact computed according to Life Cycle Assessment and the human-edible feed conversion ratio computed as the ratio between the gross energy content in human-edible feedstuffs and the energy content of human-edible animal product (milk) (HeFCR). Data originated from 38 mixed-breed dairy herds located in the Trento Province (North-East Italian Alps).Average herd size was 49±33 cows and mean Fat Protein Corrected Milk (FPCM) production was 22.8±6.6 kg/cow/day. The cradle-to-farm-gate system boundary included the production and use of on- and off-farm feedstuffs, of fuels and bedding materials, as well as the herd management phases. The reference unit was the farm, and the functional unit 1 kg of FPCM sold. Milk vs meat multi-functionality was solved using a mass allocation method. Global warming (GW), acidification and eutrophication (EU) potentials, as well as cumulative energy demand and land occupation were assessed as impact categories. Mean environmental impact per 1 kg FPCM and impact category resulted 1.1±0.2 kg CO2-eq, 20±4 g SO2-eq, 6±1 g PO4-eq, 5.1±2.0 MJ and 1.4±0.5 m2/year respectively. Mean HeFCR was 0.72±0.46 MJ edible feedstuffs/MJ milk, with a favorable output/input energy balance. All the impact categories were negatively correlated with HeFCR (r ranged from -0.37 for EU to -0.48 for GW). The higher was the impact, the lower was the competition for potential human edible resources. The results evidenced that dairy farms in mountainous areas, strongly linked to permanent grasslands, are efficient in terms of competition for potential human edible resources. The sustainability assessment of the dairy sector, in particular that located in disadvantaged mountainous area, has to include different type of indicators in order to take into account the characteristics and environmental conditions as well as the different products and ecosystem services supplied.
Multi-indicators approach for the evaluation of efficiency of mountain dairy farms
BERTON, MARCO;STURARO, ENRICO;RAMANZIN, MAURIZIO;BITTANTE, GIOVANNI
2016
Abstract
The study aimed to assess the sustainability of the dairy farms in mountainous areas combining the environmental impact computed according to Life Cycle Assessment and the human-edible feed conversion ratio computed as the ratio between the gross energy content in human-edible feedstuffs and the energy content of human-edible animal product (milk) (HeFCR). Data originated from 38 mixed-breed dairy herds located in the Trento Province (North-East Italian Alps).Average herd size was 49±33 cows and mean Fat Protein Corrected Milk (FPCM) production was 22.8±6.6 kg/cow/day. The cradle-to-farm-gate system boundary included the production and use of on- and off-farm feedstuffs, of fuels and bedding materials, as well as the herd management phases. The reference unit was the farm, and the functional unit 1 kg of FPCM sold. Milk vs meat multi-functionality was solved using a mass allocation method. Global warming (GW), acidification and eutrophication (EU) potentials, as well as cumulative energy demand and land occupation were assessed as impact categories. Mean environmental impact per 1 kg FPCM and impact category resulted 1.1±0.2 kg CO2-eq, 20±4 g SO2-eq, 6±1 g PO4-eq, 5.1±2.0 MJ and 1.4±0.5 m2/year respectively. Mean HeFCR was 0.72±0.46 MJ edible feedstuffs/MJ milk, with a favorable output/input energy balance. All the impact categories were negatively correlated with HeFCR (r ranged from -0.37 for EU to -0.48 for GW). The higher was the impact, the lower was the competition for potential human edible resources. The results evidenced that dairy farms in mountainous areas, strongly linked to permanent grasslands, are efficient in terms of competition for potential human edible resources. The sustainability assessment of the dairy sector, in particular that located in disadvantaged mountainous area, has to include different type of indicators in order to take into account the characteristics and environmental conditions as well as the different products and ecosystem services supplied.
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