Improving food security and livelihoods while addressing enteric methane emissions

Livestock – compelling figures The global landscape – a quick reminder of “why we are here”. ¼ POPULATION OF RURAL DWELLERS 1 BILLION RURAL POOR DEPEND ON LIVESTOCK FOR THEIR LIVELIHOODS DEMAND FOR PROTEIN AND PROTEIN PRODUCTS ARE INCREASING AS COUNTRIES DEVELOP INCREASED COMPETITION FOR LAND MEANS WE NEED TO FARM SMARTER ON LESS LAND LIVESTOCK CONTRIBUTES 14.5% OF GLOBAL EMISSIONS SO WE NEED TO ADAPT AND contributE to the mitigation of climate change, But also water resources, biodiversity, human health …

An aspirational goal… Source: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13340 Top line: Estimated business-as-usual emissions from agriculture | Bottom line: Maximum amount of emissions from agriculture in a 2°C Source: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13340

For livestock to play its part to achieve these goals we need solutions that: Consider the whole farm system …. Regionally specific – ‘fit for purpose’ Low cost/no cost – ‘economically viable’ Readily available – ‘limited barriers to adoption’ Use the emissions intensity metric – enabling development without worrying about absolute emissions Most important…… Provide a triple win for food security, rural livelihoods and livestock productivity Packages of measures. No single solution Using solutions that are win-win i.e. improve productivity and ensure food security while reducing emissions intensity; - packages of measures is what is critical - no single response will be enough on its own. Also need to be targeted to the region and the livestock system. The project is funded by……

THE PROJECT…… Regional Workshops to determine the problem Wide stakeholder engagement Mobilise networks of scientists to collect data & identify regionally specific measures Peer review & modelling of measures using GLEAM (life-cycle assessment model) Feedback to countries

OUTCOMES: URUGUAY EXAMPLE Practices available which have potential to reduce emission intensity by 23% - 47% of the baseline emissions. Aligns with Uruguay’s INDC commitment: reduction of emission intensity of beef by 33% Strong synergies with productivity gains and profitability BUT low rate of adoption…… Why? NEED to quantify other benefits: carbon sequestration, increased grassland productivity, biodiversity, increased resilience TESTING on the ground required: to better understand barriers to uptake, costs of implementation, agro-technologies are location specific, technology targeting in terms of ecological conditions, socio-economic condition of farmers

NEED to better understand the economics of mitigation and barriers KENYA: POTENTIAL FOR DAIRY DEVELOPMENT TO CONTRIBUTE TO ACHIEVING 220 KG TARGET THROUGH IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY Strong synergies with productivity gains, food security, profitability – mitigation as a co-benefit Potential to reduce emissions intensity ranges from 11%-49% of the baseline emissions - depending on the intervention adopted NEED to be tailored to specific farming systems, constraints and opportunities NEED to better understand the economics of mitigation and barriers NEED to be tested on the ground DATA has been used to underpin development of the dairy NAMA Business as usual emissions in absence of action Range GHG emissions if identified national policy actions are implemented % reduction achievable compared to baseline emissions in 2030: -24% Herd size: 8.6 million dairy cattle % reduction achievable compared to baseline emissions in 2030: - 59% Herd size: 4.5 million dairy cattle (current herd size) Improving the nutritional status of dairy cows establishment and management of fodder grasses and legumes to improve forage quality and quantity supplementation of basal diet with leguminous shrubs supplementation with high protein/energy concentrates Feed conservation to increase the availability during the dry season silage and hay making Improving the health status of the herd control of tick-borne diseases Constraints: feed, land, climate, markets, etc.

OTHER OUTCOMES….. SRI LANKA: New internal collaborations initiated Data collated centrally for the first time Data to be used in the 3rd National Communication Report - information to UNFCCC on emissions and removals of greenhouse gases Project to test interventions ON FARM Tier 2 inventory to be initiated OTHER RESULTS following on from the project: Ethiopia – World Bank project, NZ Dairy Development project, Bill and Melinda Gates foundation engagement Bangladesh – World Bank project on carbon Argentina – Stakeholder discussions to explore links between science & policy

CAPTURING IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCTIVITY SIMPLE: If you can’t measure it, you can’t benefit from any improvements in productivity A lot of countries still use Tier 1 inventory. Assumes all animals are the same. Assumes fixed emissions from all animals SO no ability to measure changes in emissions intensity over time from improved production Our experience in countries involved in this project and in others where improvement on animal productivity is the outcome

CAPTURING IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCTIVITY A Tier 2 inventory uses information on the animal’s gross energy or dry matter intake to estimate their actual emissions. Allows for countries to: a. reduce absolute GHG emissions without compromising food security, b. use productivity gains to increase food production but with a lower GHG footprint. Post Paris (2015), significant demand for assistance with GHG inventories to assist with INDCs and NAMAs, NAPS etc. Many tools and organizations available to help: GLEAM-i tool (FAO) GRA /CCAFS support for advanced GHG inventories