Carbon footprint assessment of livestock farms under tropical conditions: first approximation.

Abstract

This study evaluates the carbon footprint (CF) of livestock farms in the Orellana Province of the Ecuadorian Amazon, focusing on emissions from enteric fermentation, manure management, and energy use. Utilizing Tier I and Tier II methodologies outlined by the IPCC (2006), the research quantifies greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across three distinct typologies of Agricultural Productive Units (APUs): Conventional Systems (Type 1), Efficient Resource Use (Type 2), and Subsistence and Dependency Systems (Type 3). Results show that the average CF ranged from 14.5 to 18.3 kg CO2-eq per kg of live weight, with enteric fermentation accounting for 60.2% of emissions, followed by manure management (25.4%) and energy use (14.4%). Type 1 farms demonstrated the highest total CF (2.400 kg CO2-eq/farm), primarily due to larger herd sizes (9.8 TLU) and less efficient practices. Type 2 farms, characterized by rotational grazing and improved resource use, showed a reduced CF of 1.860 kg CO2-eq/farm. Type 3 farms, though smaller in scale, exhibited a CF of 1.810 kg CO2-eq/farm, with higher emissions intensity per animal (60.3 kg CO2-eq/animal) compared to Type 1 and 2 (53.2 kg CO2-eq/animal on average). Across all typologies, methane (CH4) from enteric fermentation remains the largest emission source. The findings underscore the critical need for sustainable interventions, such as silvopastoral systems, to mitigate GHG emissions while improving productivity. This research provides baseline data for designing region-specific mitigation strategies, contributing to global efforts to reduce the environmental impact of livestock farming.