IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agisys/v162y2018icp229-238.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Economics of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from beef production in western Canada

Author

Listed:
  • Modongo, Oteng
  • Kulshreshtha, Suren N.

Abstract

Beef production plays a vital role in the economy of western Canada; however, in the wake of global warming as a result of increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the industry has come under some scrutiny. Although there has been encouraging scientific findings on mitigation strategies applicable to beef operations, there is a lack of economic analysis of such strategies. This study extends on the work of Beauchemin et al. (2011) and evaluates the economic impacts of greenhouse gas mitigation scenarios (GHGMS) for beef operations, and in the process identifies economic and environmental sustainable scenarios. A whole farm economic simulation model was developed and used to measure the profitability of eleven GHGMS adopted from Beauchemin et al. (2011). Whole farm present value gross margin of the eleven scenarios was measured and compared to the conversional system (baseline) of a farm in Vulcan County, Southern Alberta. The farm had 120 cows and their progeny, which was raised and finished on the farm for sale. The study farm was simulated over a period of 8 years in order to fully account for the lifetime economic activity of the breeding stock, as well as the progeny raised for sale. Simulation results estimated a whole farm present value gross margin per ha of $3.51 for the baseline. Seven of the eleven scenarios evaluated were found to increase profitability of the farm by up to 4%. However, only six of the scenarios were found to be both economically and environmentally sustainable to the farm. Four of the six sustainable scenarios were strategies applied to the breeding stock and two to the feedlot. These results suggest that beef producers can profitably implement several GHG mitigation strategies to their operations without substantial changing their operational system.

Suggested Citation

  • Modongo, Oteng & Kulshreshtha, Suren N., 2018. "Economics of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from beef production in western Canada," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 229-238.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:162:y:2018:i:c:p:229-238
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2017.12.008
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X17309459
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agsy.2017.12.008?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Subak, Susan, 1999. "Global environmental costs of beef production," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 79-91, July.
    2. Veysset, P. & Lherm, M. & Bébin, D., 2010. "Energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and economic performance assessments in French Charolais suckler cattle farms: Model-based analysis and forecasts," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 103(1), pages 41-50, January.
    3. Stoorvogel, J. J. & Antle, J. M. & Crissman, C. C. & Bowen, W., 2004. "The tradeoff analysis model: integrated bio-physical and economic modeling of agricultural production systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 80(1), pages 43-66, April.
    4. Greg W. Vos & Alfons Weersink & D. Peter Stonehouse, 2003. "Economic-Environmental Tradeoffs in Swine Finishing Operations," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 51(1), pages 55-60, March.
    5. Beauchemin, Karen A. & Henry Janzen, H. & Little, Shannan M. & McAllister, Tim A. & McGinn, Sean M., 2010. "Life cycle assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from beef production in western Canada: A case study," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 103(6), pages 371-379, July.
    6. Jayasinghe-Mudalige, Udith K. & Weersink, Alfons, 2004. "Factors Affecting the Adoption of Environmental Management Systems by Crop and Livestock Farms in Canada," Sri Lankan Journal of Agricultural Economics, Sri Lanka Agricultural Economics Association (SAEA), vol. 6, pages 1-14.
    7. MacLeod, N.D. & McIvor, J.G., 2008. "Quantifying production-environment tradeoffs for grazing land management -- A case example from the Australian rangelands," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(3), pages 488-497, April.
    8. Pelletier, Nathan & Pirog, Rich & Rasmussen, Rebecca, 2010. "Comparative life cycle environmental impacts of three beef production strategies in the Upper Midwestern United States," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 103(6), pages 380-389, July.
    9. Alemu, Aklilu W. & Janzen, Henry & Little, Shannan & Hao, Xiying & Thompson, Donald J. & Baron, Vern & Iwaasa, Alan & Beauchemin, Karen A. & Kröbel, Roland, 2017. "Assessment of grazing management on farm greenhouse gas intensity of beef production systems in the Canadian Prairies using life cycle assessment," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 1-13.
    10. Kim, Seon-Ae & Gillespie, Jeffrey M. & Paudel, Krishna P., 2005. "Count Data Analysis of the Adoption of Best Management Practices in Beef Cattle Production," 2005 Annual Meeting, February 5-9, 2005, Little Rock, Arkansas 35603, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. White, Robin R. & Brady, Michael & Capper, Judith L. & Johnson, Kristen A., 2014. "Optimizing diet and pasture management to improve sustainability of U.S. beef production," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 1-12.
    2. Raymond L. Desjardins & Devon E. Worth & Xavier P. C. Vergé & Dominique Maxime & Jim Dyer & Darrel Cerkowniak, 2012. "Carbon Footprint of Beef Cattle," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 4(12), pages 1-23, December.
    3. María I. Nieto & Olivia Barrantes & Liliana Privitello & Ramón Reiné, 2018. "Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Beef Grazing Systems in Semi-Arid Rangelands of Central Argentina," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-22, November.
    4. Forte, Annachiara & Zucaro, Amalia & De Vico, Gionata & Fierro, Angelo, 2016. "Carbon footprint of heliciculture: A case study from an Italian experimental farm," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 99-111.
    5. Oishi, Kazato & Kato, Yohei & Ogino, Akifumi & Hirooka, Hiroyuki, 2013. "Economic and environmental impacts of changes in culling parity of cows and diet composition in Japanese beef cow–calf production systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 95-103.
    6. Stanley, Paige L. & Rowntree, Jason E. & Beede, David K. & DeLonge, Marcia S. & Hamm, Michael W., 2018. "Impacts of soil carbon sequestration on life cycle greenhouse gas emissions in Midwestern USA beef finishing systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 249-258.
    7. Morel, Kevin & Farrié, Jean-Pierre & Renon, Julien & Manneville, Vincent & Agabriel, Jacques & Devun, Jean, 2016. "Environmental impacts of cow-calf beef systems with contrasted grassland management and animal production strategies in the Massif Central, France," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 133-143.
    8. Herron, Jonathan & Curran, Thomas P. & Moloney, Aidan P. & O'Brien, Donal, 2019. "Whole farm modelling the effect of grass silage harvest date and nitrogen fertiliser rate on nitrous oxide emissions from grass-based suckler to beef farming systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 175(C), pages 66-78.
    9. McGee, M. & Moloney, A.P. & O'Riordan, E.G. & Regan, M. & Lenehan, C. & Kelly, A.K. & Crosson, P., 2023. "Pasture-finishing of late-maturing bulls or steers in a suckler calf-to-beef system: Animal production, meat quality, economics, greenhouse gas emissions and human-edible food-feed efficiency," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 209(C).
    10. Pogue, Sarah J. & Kröbel, Roland & Janzen, H. Henry & Alemu, Aklilu W. & Beauchemin, Karen A. & Little, Shannan & Iravani, Majid & de Souza, Danielle Maia & McAllister, Tim A., 2020. "A social-ecological systems approach for the assessment of ecosystem services from beef production in the Canadian prairie," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 45(C).
    11. Bonnin, Dennis & Tabacco, Ernesto & Borreani, Giorgio, 2021. "Variability of greenhouse gas emissions and economic performances on 10 Piedmontese beef farms in North Italy," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    12. Alemu, Aklilu W. & Amiro, Brian D. & Bittman, Shabtai & MacDonald, Douglas & Ominski, Kim H., 2017. "Greenhouse gas emission of Canadian cow-calf operations: A whole-farm assessment of 295 farms," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 73-83.
    13. Alemu, Aklilu W. & Janzen, Henry & Little, Shannan & Hao, Xiying & Thompson, Donald J. & Baron, Vern & Iwaasa, Alan & Beauchemin, Karen A. & Kröbel, Roland, 2017. "Assessment of grazing management on farm greenhouse gas intensity of beef production systems in the Canadian Prairies using life cycle assessment," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 1-13.
    14. Pashaei Kamali, Farahnaz & van der Linden, Aart & Meuwissen, Miranda P.M. & Malafaia, Guilherme Cunha & Oude Lansink, Alfons G.J.M. & de Boer, Imke J.M., 2016. "Environmental and economic performance of beef farming systems with different feeding strategies in southern Brazil," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 70-79.
    15. Castaño-Sánchez, José P. & Rotz, C. Alan & McIntosh, Matthew M. & Tolle, Cindy & Gifford, Craig A. & Duff, Glenn C. & Spiegal, Sheri A., 2023. "Grass finishing of Criollo cattle can provide an environmentally preferred and cost effective meat supply chain from United States drylands," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 210(C).
    16. Becona, Gonzalo & Astigarraga, Laura & Picasso, Valentin D., 2014. "Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Beef Cow-Calf Grazing Systems in Uruguay," Sustainable Agriculture Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 3(2).
    17. Zifei Liu & Yang Liu, 2018. "Mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions from animal production," Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 8(4), pages 627-638, August.
    18. Briner, Simon & Hartmann, Michael & Lehmann, Bernard, 2011. "Economic Assessment of Agroforestry Systems Compared to Other Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Options for Suckler Cow Farming," 2011 International Congress, August 30-September 2, 2011, Zurich, Switzerland 114271, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    19. Huerta, Adriana Rivera & Güereca, Leonor Patricia & Lozano, María de la Salud Rubio, 2016. "Environmental impact of beef production in Mexico through life cycle assessment," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 44-53.
    20. Simon Briner & Michael Hartmann & Robert Finger & Bernard Lehmann, 2012. "Greenhouse gas mitigation and offset options for suckler cow farms: an economic comparison for the Swiss case," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 337-355, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:162:y:2018:i:c:p:229-238. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/agsy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.