Abstract
Abstract: Increasing the production of meat and milk within sub-Saharan Africa should provide
significant food security benefits. However, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions represent a challenge,
as cattle production in the region typically has high emissions intensity (EI), i.e., high rates of GHG
emissions per unit of output. The high EI is caused by the relatively low production efficiencies in the
region, which are in turn partly due to endemic cattle diseases. In theory, improved disease control
should increase the efficiency and decrease the emissions intensity of livestock production; however
quantitative analysis of the potential GHG mitigation effects of improved disease control in Africa is
lacking. This paper seeks to respond to this by using a hybrid modelling approach to quantify the
production and emissions effects of removing trypanosomiasis from East African cattle production
systems. The emissions are quantified for each cattle production system using an excel version of
GLEAM, the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Global Livestock Environmental Assessment
Model. The results indicate that removing trypanosomiasis leads to a reduction in the emissions
intensity per unit of protein produced of between 0% and 8%, driven mainly by the increases in
milk yields and cow fertility rates. Despite the limitations, it is argued that the approach provides
considerable scope for modelling the GHG impacts of disease interventions.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1633 - 1647 |
Number of pages | 15 |
Journal | Sustainability |
Volume | 10 |
Issue number | 5 |
Early online date | 18 May 2018 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | First published - 18 May 2018 |
Bibliographical note
20826111032210
Keywords
- Cattle health
- Climate change
- GLEAM
- Livestock modelling
- Sustainable intensification