Estimation of greenhouse gas emissions from cattle farming in the dry and subhumid tropical zones of Benin
Idrissou, Yaya | Vall, Eric | Assouma, Mohamed Habibou | Lecomte, Philippe | Alkoiret, T.I.
To adapt to climate change, cattle farmers in Benin have developed several practices which have been classified into three types: integrating livestock with crop cultivation (ILCC); fodder cropping and use of feed concentrates (FCFC); and pastoral mobility (PM). The effects of these practices on livestock productivity have been assessed and documented. However, information on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from cattle farms adopting these practices is lacking. Thus, the present study aimed at filling this gap. To achieve this aim, 360 cattle farmers were surveyed. Data on animal feeding, manure management, and herd composition were collected, and the Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model interactive (GLEAM-i) was used to estimate GHG emissions within each cattle farming type. The results revealed that the GHG emissions of all the cattle farming types were 27.423 Gg CO2-eq/year of which cattle farming with PM practice contributed 62.28%. In all the cattle farming types, CH4 from enteric fermentation was the largest contributor to GHG emissions. The emission intensities of milk (64.17 kg CO2/kg protein) and meat (185.73 kg CO2/kg protein) were lower in cattle farming with FCFC practice. Improving feed and manure management reduced total GHG emissions by 10.17%, 9.59%, and 10.10% in farms with ILCC, FCFC, and PM practices, respectively. This study will serve as a support tool for the development of guidelines for low-emission animal production systems in Benin and elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa.
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