A NEW modelling project has estimated performance improvements in the beef and sheep production sectors in England have resulted in lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in almost every decade for the past 40 years.

The work, commissioned by EBLEX working with The E-CO2 Project using historic performance and production data for beef cattle between 1970 and 2010, backed by estimated values based on E-CO2 models, shows the beef carbon footprint fell from 23.05kg of carbon dioxide equivalents (kg CO2-e) per kilogram of liveweight, to 14.41kg CO2-e. For sheep, the figure fell from 13.8kg CO2-e to 11.78kg CO2-e over that period.

The beef sector has reduced its GHG output by an equivalent of 9.4 per cent every decade while the figures for sheep, although hindered by a lack of consistent quality data, still showed a reduction over the period and in the last ten years alone this delivered a credible reduction of 9.3 per cent through greater output per ewe and reduced reliance on artificial fertiliser.

However, with the UK Climate Change Act 2008 requiring an overall reduction of 80 per cent in GHGs from 1990 levels by 2050 across the UK economy, the scale of challenge for beef and sheep meat producers should not be underestimated.

EBLEX industry development manager Chris Lloyd, who revealed the figures at the organisation’s annual conference in late October, said: “While we realise there are limitations to the modelling, what this does show is an overall downward trend in GHG emissions from performance improvements and greater efficiency within enterprises and this is a positive story for the industry.

“Rather than becoming a scapegoat for emissions, we can demonstrate continued and progressive reductions in our carbon footprint without the need to rely on decreased livestock numbers. Our ongoing work to improve efficiency, delivered through the Better Returns Programme, can only help this further.”

Defra has set the agriculture sector an interim target to reduce its contribution to GHGs by 11 per cent by 2020 based on 2008 figures.

To make the comparisons, the top eight factors which influence GHG emissions were modelled using a scaled-down carbon calculator. The key data looked at performance indicators such as cow and ewe weight, culling rates, liveweight of finished animals, daily liveweight gain, fertiliser use and feed use.