The measure of climate change in dairy farms can be achieved by using the emissions of methane by the ruminants converted in CO2 equivalent (CO2-eq). In order to know the impact of future quotes of methane in the Azorean dairy milk farms, a decision model is built to the Azorean intensive grazing system of dairy farms. Some scenarios of methane levels reductions from 10 to 75% are considered and their impact is evaluated upon dairy farms income, level of CO2-eq emissions and intensity level of grazing system. The results have shown that any reduction of the methane level always implies a consequent decrease in income. If the CO2-eq has to be limited than there is the need to find alternative income activities for farmers in order to preserve economic sustainability.
References
[1]
APRODEV (2012) EU CAP Reform 2013, CAP Lobby Brief 7. Mitigating GHG Emissions and Promoting Sustainable Agriculture, March 2012, 1-7. www.aprodev.eu
[2]
European Commission (2009) The Role of European Agriculture in Climate Change Mitigation. Commission of the European Communities, Brussels.
[3]
Bates, J. (2001) Economic Evaluation of Emission Reductions of Nitrous Oxides and Methane in Agriculture in the EU. Bottom-Up Analysis, Final Report, Contribution to a Study for a DG Environment, European Commission by Ecofys, Energy and Environment, AEA, Technology Environment and National Technical University of Athens.
[4]
Silva, E.S. and Marta-Costa, A. (2013) Agricultural and Environmental Policies in the European Union. In: Marta-Costa, A. and Silva, E., Eds., Methods and Procedures for Building Sustainable Farming Systems, Application in the European Context, Springer, 9-19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5003-6
[5]
Pérez Domingéz, P.I., Fellmann, T., Witzke, H.-P., Jansson, T. and Oudengag, D. (2012) Agricultural GHG Emissions in the EU: An Exploratory Economic Assessment of Mitigation Policy Options. Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.
[6]
Silva, E.S. and Berbel, J. (2004) A Decision Support Model for Dairy Farms. In: Schiefer, G. and Rickert, U., Eds., Quality Assurance, Risk Management and Environmental Control in Agriculture and Food Supply Networks, Vol. B, Proceedings of the 82nd EAAE, Universitat Bonn-ILB, Germany, 583-592. http://uf.ilb.uni-bonn.de/eaae/abstracts.cfm
[7]
SREA (2010) Os Açores em Números. Secretaria Regional de Estatística dos Açores, Portugal.
[8]
Massot, A. ( 2015) The Agriculture of the Azores Islands, Submitted to European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development on the Occasion of the Delegation to the Azores Islands.
[9]
SREA (2014) Anuário Estatístico dos Açores. Secretaria Regional de Estatística dos Açores, Portugal.
[10]
SREA (2011) Os Açores em Números. Secretaria Regional de Estatística dos Açores, Portugal.
[11]
INE (2011) Instituto Nacional de Estatística. Recenseamento Agrícola 2009, Análise dos Principais Resultados, Edição 2011. http://www.ine.pt/
[12]
INE (2009) Instituto Nacional de Estatística. Estatísticas Agrícolas 2008. http://www.ine.pt/
[13]
IFAP (2012) Instituto de Financiamento da Agricultura e Pescas.
http://www.ifap.min-agricultura.pt/portal/page/portal/ifap_publico/GC_quotleite
[14]
Silva, E.S. and Berbel, J. (2007) An Azorean Farms Typology. New Medit, VI, 51-54.
[15]
Silva, E.S. and Mendes, A.B. (2014) Um Modelo para a Produção de Leite nos Açores. In: Oliveira, R.C. and Ferreira, J.S., Eds., Investigação Operacional em Ação-Casos de Aplicação, Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra, 1st Edition, 105-131.
[16]
IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change) (2007) 2006 Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories.
http://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2006gl/vol4.html
[17]
Capper, J. and Cady, R. (2012) A Comparison of the Environmental Impact of Jersey vs Holstein Milk for Cheese Production. Journal of Dairy Science, 95,165-176. http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2011-4360
[18]
Garnsworthy, P. (2004) The Environmental Impact of Fertility in Dairy Cows: A Modeling Approach to Predict Methane and Ammonia Emissions. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 112, 211-223.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2003.10.011
[19]
Capper, J. and Bauman, D. (2013) The Role of Productivity in Improving The Environmental Sustainability of ruminant Production Systems. Annual Review of Animal Biosciences, 1, 469-489.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev-animal-031412-103727
[20]
Capper, J. and Caddy, R.D.B. (2009) The Environmental Impact of Dairy Production: 1944 Compared with 2007. Journal of Animal Science, 87, 2160-2167. http://dx.doi.org/10.2527/jas.2009-1781
[21]
Olesen, J.E., Schelde, K., Weiske, A., Weisbjerg, M.R., Asman, W.A.H. and Djurhuus, J. (2006) Modelling Greenhouse Gas Emissions from European Conventional and Organic Dairy farms. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 112, 207-220. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2005.08.022
[22]
Schils, R., Verhagen, A., Aarts, H., Kuikman, P. and Sebek, L. (2006) Effect of Improved Nitrogen Management on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Intensive Dairy Systems in the Netherlands. Global Change Biology, 12, 382-391.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2005.01090.x
[23]
Sintorini, A., Tsiboukas, K. and Zervas, G. (2013) Evaluating Socio-Economic and Environmental Sustainability of the Sheep Farming Activity in Greece: A Whole-Farm Mathematical Programming Approach. In: Marta-Costa, A. and Silva, E., Eds., Methods and Procedures for Building Sustainable Farming Systems, Application in the European Context, Springer, Dordrecht, 219-235. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5003-6_15
[24]
Veysset, P., Lherm, M. and Bébin, D. (2010) Energy Consumption, Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Economic Performance Assessments in French Charolaissuckler Cattle Farms: Model-Based Analysis and Forecast. Agricultural Systems, 103, 41-50. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2009.08.005
[25]
Food Agri. Organ. UN (2010) Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Dairy Sector: A Life Cycle Assessment. Food Agri. Organ., Rome.
[26]
Cara, S.M. and Houzé, P.J. (2005) Methane and Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Agriculture in the EU: A Spatial Assessment of Sources and Abatement Costs. Environmental and Resource Economics, 32, 551-583.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10640-005-0071-8
