Biotechnical, economic, and environmental assessment of dairy systems in the Peruvian Amazon utilizing the CLEANED tool

Abstract

Silvopastoral systems have been proposed as a sustainable alternative for climate change mitigation, but quantitative information comparing with other systems is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the biotechnical, economic, and environmental impacts of conventional dairy production systems (CPS) and silvopastoral systems (SPS) in San Martin, Peru, using the CLEANED modeling tool. Notably, CLEANED does not explicitly model tree presence on farms. However, after downloading the tool, it was possible to model and precompute each farm’s characteristics based on input data, considering the exploitation mode outside the tool’s standard scope. This adaptation represents a significant contribution, showcasing how CLEANED can be tailored to evaluate SPS effectively. The analysis focused on methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, water use per kg of product, changes in carbon storage, and economic performance. Silvopastoral systems had 3.63 kg CO₂-eq/kg fat and protein-corrected milk (FPCM) lower emissions for CH₄, 0.28 kg CO₂ eq/kg FPCM lower for N₂O, reduced water consumption (24 m³/kg protein produced) (P < 0.05), and higher carbon storage (3.48 t CO₂-eq/ha/year) (P < 0.05) than CPS. Conventional systems derived 85% of income from milk sales, while SPS generated 70% from milk, with additional income from live animal sales (20%), wood (6%), firewood (3%), and other activities (1%). Silvopastoral systems were more profitable ($493/farm/month) than CPS ($247/farm/month). The study concluded that SPS are more sustainable due to better water use efficiency, higher profitability, and lower GHG emissions, recommending their broader adoption to increase profits and reduce environmental impacts.