IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jagris/v12y2022i4p480-d782360.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

An Integrated Analysis of Dairy Farming: Direct and Indirect Environmental Interactions in Challenging Bio-Physical Conditions

Author

Listed:
  • Shir Triky

    (Department of Geography and Environmental Development, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel)

  • Meidad Kissinger

    (Department of Geography and Environmental Development, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel)

Abstract

The demand for milk and its products is growing worldwide. The need to find more efficient ways to produce milk while reducing pressure on the local and global environment has been identified. The Israeli dairy system operates in a challenging environment (limited land, water, and a harsh climate). This paper embraces a life cycle assessment (LCA) framework to analyze various local and global direct and indirect environmental interactions of milk production in Israel. The results show that the production of 1 kg of fat and protein-corrected milk (FPCM) in the systems that were analyzed requires on average 0.5 m 2 of land, 52 L of water, and 3.3 MJ of energy. The emissions that were generated over the life cycle averaged 1.03 kg CO 2 -eq (GWP), 0.0095 kg SO 2 -eq (AP) and 0.003 kg PO 4 -eq (EP). The research findings point to several ‘pollution hotspots’ that are relevant also to dairy systems in other regions, including feed supply, GHG emissions that are related to enteric fermentation, manure management, and the use of water, and discuss some potential directions to advance more efficient, less polluting system.

Suggested Citation

  • Shir Triky & Meidad Kissinger, 2022. "An Integrated Analysis of Dairy Farming: Direct and Indirect Environmental Interactions in Challenging Bio-Physical Conditions," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-11, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:12:y:2022:i:4:p:480-:d:782360
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/4/480/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/4/480/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Meul, Marijke & Van Middelaar, Corina E. & de Boer, Imke J.M. & Van Passel, Steven & Fremaut, Dirk & Haesaert, Geert, 2014. "Potential of life cycle assessment to support environmental decision making at commercial dairy farms," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 105-115.
    2. Fridman, Dor & Kissinger, Meidad, 2018. "An integrated biophysical and ecosystem approach as a base for ecosystem services analysis across regions," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 31(PB), pages 242-254.
    3. Nijdam, Durk & Rood, Trudy & Westhoek, Henk, 2012. "The price of protein: Review of land use and carbon footprints from life cycle assessments of animal food products and their substitutes," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 760-770.
    4. Kissinger, Meidad & Gottlieb, Dan, 2010. "Place oriented ecological footprint analysis -- The case of Israel's grain supply," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(8), pages 1639-1645, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Eva Polyak & Zita Breitenbach & Eszter Frank & Olivia Mate & Maria Figler & Dorottya Zsalig & Klara Simon & Mate Szijarto & Zoltan Szabo, 2023. "Food and Sustainability: Is It a Matter of Choice?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-22, April.

    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. Georg Smolka & Ervin Kosatica & Markus Berger & Meidad Kissinger & Dor Fridman & Thomas Koellner, 2023. "Domestic water versus imported virtual blue water for agricultural production: A comparison based on energy consumption and related greenhouse gas emissions," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 27(4), pages 1123-1136, August.
    2. Westhoek, Henk & Ingram, John & van Berkum, Siemen & Hajer, Maarten, 2015. "The European food system and natural resources: Impacts and Options," 148th Seminar, November 30-December 1, 2015, The Hague, The Netherlands 229279, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    3. Adam A. Prag & Christian B. Henriksen, 2020. "Transition from Animal-Based to Plant-Based Food Production to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agriculture—The Case of Denmark," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-20, October.
    4. Simona Menardo & Giacomo Lanza & Werner Berg, 2021. "The Effect of Diet and Farm Management on N 2 O Emissions from Dairy Farms Estimated from Farm Data," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-19, July.
    5. Morena Bruno & Marianne Thomsen & Federico Maria Pulselli & Nicoletta Patrizi & Michele Marini & Dario Caro, 2019. "The carbon footprint of Danish diets," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 156(4), pages 489-507, October.
    6. Huangling Gu & Yan Liu & Hao Xia & Zilong Li & Liyuan Huang & Yanjia Zeng, 2023. "Temporal and Spatial Differences in CO 2 Equivalent Emissions and Carbon Compensation Caused by Land Use Changes and Industrial Development in Hunan Province," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-20, May.
    7. Helen Harwatt & Joan Sabaté & Gidon Eshel & Sam Soret & William Ripple, 2017. "Substituting beans for beef as a contribution toward US climate change targets," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 143(1), pages 261-270, July.
    8. Dominic Lemken & Mandy Knigge & Stephan Meyerding & Achim Spiller, 2017. "The Value of Environmental and Health Claims on New Legume Products: A Non-Hypothetical Online Auction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-18, July.
    9. Peter Scarborough & Paul Appleby & Anja Mizdrak & Adam Briggs & Ruth Travis & Kathryn Bradbury & Timothy Key, 2014. "Dietary greenhouse gas emissions of meat-eaters, fish-eaters, vegetarians and vegans in the UK," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 125(2), pages 179-192, July.
    10. Thorn, Alexandra M. & Baker, Michael J. & Peters, Christian J., 2021. "Estimating biological capacity for grass-finished ruminant meat production in New England and New York," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    11. Chantal Le Mouël & Anna Birgit Milford & Benjamin L. Bodirsky & Susanne Rolinski, 2019. "Drivers of meat consumption," Post-Print hal-02175593, HAL.
    12. Oriana Gava & Fabio Bartolini & Francesca Venturi & Gianluca Brunori & Alberto Pardossi, 2020. "Improving Policy Evidence Base for Agricultural Sustainability and Food Security: A Content Analysis of Life Cycle Assessment Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-29, February.
    13. Jennifer A. Jay & Raffaella D’Auria & J. Cully Nordby & David Andy Rice & David A. Cleveland & Anthony Friscia & Sophie Kissinger & Marc Levis & Hannah Malan & Deepak Rajagopal & Joel R. Reynolds & We, 2019. "Reduction of the carbon footprint of college freshman diets after a food-based environmental science course," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 154(3), pages 547-564, June.
    14. Helin, Janne & Weikard, Hans-Peter, 2019. "A model for estimating phosphorus requirements of world food production," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    15. Elio Romano & Rocco Roma & Flavio Tidona & Giorgio Giraffa & Andrea Bragaglio, 2021. "Dairy Farms and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): The Allocation Criterion Useful to Estimate Undesirable Products," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-24, April.
    16. Mohamed E. Abd El-Hack & Manal E. Shafi & Wed Y. Alghamdi & Sameh A. Abdelnour & Abdelrazeq M. Shehata & Ahmed E. Noreldin & Elwy A. Ashour & Ayman A. Swelum & Ahmed A. Al-Sagan & Mazen Alkhateeb & Ay, 2020. "Black Soldier Fly ( Hermetia illucens ) Meal as a Promising Feed Ingredient for Poultry: A Comprehensive Review," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-31, August.
    17. Gaspard Philis & Friederike Ziegler & Lars Christian Gansel & Mona Dverdal Jansen & Erik Olav Gracey & Anne Stene, 2019. "Comparing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Salmonid Aquaculture Production Systems: Status and Perspectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-27, April.
    18. Ghada Talat Alhothali & Noha M. Almoraie & Israa M. Shatwan & Najlaa M. Aljefree, 2021. "Sociodemographic Characteristics and Dietary Choices as Determinants of Climate Change Understanding and Concern in Saudi Arabia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-14, October.
    19. de Ruiter, Henri & Kastner, Thomas & Nonhebel, Sanderine, 2014. "European dietary patterns and their associated land use: Variation between and within countries," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 158-166.
    20. Mario Herrero & Benjamin Henderson & Petr Havlík & Philip K. Thornton & Richard T. Conant & Pete Smith & Stefan Wirsenius & Alexander N. Hristov & Pierre Gerber & Margaret Gill & Klaus Butterbach-Bahl, 2016. "Greenhouse gas mitigation potentials in the livestock sector," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 6(5), pages 452-461, May.

    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:gam:jagris:v:12:y:2022:i:4:p:480-:d:782360. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.