Dados do Trabalho

Título

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF BEEF PRODUCTION IN NATURAL GRASSLANDS OF SOUTHERN BRAZIL

Resumo

The beef production is a global concern due to its net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, leading to it being under increasing pressure to adopt environmentally friendly practices to mitigate its contribution to climate change. The use of agricultural practices that aim to improve productivity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock is necessary. This study evaluates the life cycle of beef production using natural grasslands under four different forage allowances [4, 8, 12, and 16 kg DM per 100 kg LW per day (or % LW)] aiming to determine its impact on GHG emission in Pampa biome, southern Brazil. The method used was a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) focused on GHG emissions. Where the four forage allowances 4, 8, 12, and 16% LW were classified into four Systems F1, F2, F3, and F4, respectively. GHG emissions resulting from four managements of beef production were -0.6 to 99.1 kg CO2-eq. kg-1 boneless beef and of -0.8 to 39.1 kg CO2-eq. kg-1 of live weight gain (LWG), full cycle, and farm’s gate, respectively. The F2 scenario was an alternative that can mitigate all emissions including other steps besides farm steps. The beef produced in the Pampa biome in the Rio Grande do Sul state can mitigate the GHG emissions from the beef production, mainly the enteric emissions, being able to leave the beef supply chain in this region with neutral GHG emissions. Furthermore, the grass management alternative can generate carbon credits estimated for the Pampa biome remnant area, from 8.5 to 17.6 million carbon credits. Thus, it might have a positive social impact on beef farmers that will feel excited to preserve the Pampa biome through better grass management.

Palavras-chave

Livestock, Soil Organic Carbon, Global Warming Potential, Soil conservation

Agradecimentos

Aos grupos de pesquisas SOLMACA e GPEP pelo trabalho em empenho na coleta de dados e manutenção do experimento que serviu de base para realização desse trabalho. CAPES, Cnpq, UFGRS, e PPGCS