PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Beef production generates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions accounting for six per cent of all human-induced emissions. Nevertheless, studies reveal that knowledge gaps exist among beef farmers about the use of innovative practices to reduce GHG emissions. Beef production can also regulate climate through carbon storage in grassland. This dual role confers to livestock farming an important responsibility in the fight against climate change. France, Ireland, Italy and Spain represent 32% of the EU cattle population and a large diversity of livestock production systems.
OBJECTIVES
The LIFE BEEF CARBON project aimed to promote innovative livestock farming systems and associated practices to ensure the technical, economic, environmental and social sustainability of beef farms. Project partners intended to raise awareness among beef production actors and encourage their commitment to improving environmental performance. This would be achieved by:
- Testing and promoting innovative practices to reduce GHG emissions and increase carbon sequestration in beef farms;
- Designing, demonstrating and disseminating innovative advisory approaches in livestock farming, incorporating better environmental issues in order to improve advisory services; and
- Structuring, building and promoting collective and shared BEEF CARBON action plans in France, Ireland, Italy and Spain.
Investigations will not only include climate change mitigation in relation to GHG emissions and carbon storage, but also eco-systemic services and other environmental impacts of livestock farming and socio-economic issues. The project aims to meet its objectives through calculation tools to assess 2 000 demonstration beef farms using different production systems, to evaluate GHG emissions and beef carbon footprints. Decision-making tools will be used by farmers and advisors at farm level, a European database will be used to produce technical and environmental results from beef demonstration farms, and a carbon mitigation plan will be applied and evaluated in 172 innovative beef farms.
RESULTS
The LIFE BEEF CARBON consortium harmonised tools (CAP'2ER in France and Italy, Bovid CO2 in Spain, and CarbonAudit in Ireland) to perform environmental diagnoses on farms. They developed user-friendly tools, taking into account the characteristics of beef production systems in each country, linked farming practices with environmental impacts, and quantified greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and carbon sequestration.
A total of 250 technical advisers were trained to perform the environmental diagnoses and assessment of GHG emissions on beef farms. Initial (baseline) environmental diagnoses were performed on 2 012 demonstrative farms and final diagnoses were carried out on 1 385 farms, leading to the establishment of the Beef Carbon demonstrative farm observatory. Moreover, on 185 innovative farms, initial diagnoses were followed by the design, implementation and monitoring of carbon mitigation action plans.
The project team measured and quantified concrete benefits arising from the use of the action plans on innovative farms, with an average reduction of about 12% of GHG emissions between the initial and final diagnosis. Overall, the mitigation of GHG emission on project farms (innovative and demonstrative) reached about 85.5 kt CO2-eq by the project end. The project team showed that there is a positive correlation between net carbon footprint and biodiversity, water quality, air acidification and carbon sequestration (mainly due to the positive effects of grasslands and hedgerows when managed properly). Most of the mitigation techniques tested by the farmers in the project framework did not have negative impacts on economic indicators.
To disseminate information and best practices in Europe, the project consortium organised numerous networking campaigns that reached more than 500 stakeholders and researchers in 10 European countries. They participated in 32 conferences and other professional events, produced 36 press articles to reach more than 2 500 beef farmers, and took part in many TV and radio interviews.
Replication of project results started during the project duration, and will continue post-LIFE, for instance in other French regions (Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Hauts de France, and Grand-Est), and via beef processors (e.g. Moy Park, SVA) or large retailers (e.g. Carrefour, Alcampo). The sustainability, replication and transfer are also ensured through new collaborative European projects (involving several beneficiaries of LIFE Beef Carbon), such as H2020 BovINE, H2020 ClieNFarms, Horizon Europe Climate Farm Demo project, LIFE Green Sheep, and LIFE Carbon Farming.
Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report (see "Read more" section).
