Feed & Additive Magazine Issue 2 March 2021

ISSUE FOCUS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE March 2021 37 ruminants, emissions associated with monogastrics depend primarily on manure management. Aquaculture produces over 55 mil- lion tonnes of fish and shellfish annu- ally, generating high amounts of ni- trous oxide emissions. These emissions are predicted to make up approximate- ly 6 percent of anthropogenic nitrous oxide emissions by 2030, representing a major new source of gas to monitor. Likewise, the expansion of shrimp cul- ture has resulted in a significant loss of mangroves (approximately 38 percent) where massive amounts of carbon are stored in the sediments, more than any forest ecosystem in the world. This loss is the most rapid of any type of forest in the world, in some cases, in the order of 2−7 percent per annum. HOW CAN EMISSIONS FROM ANIMAL HUSBANDRY BE REDUCED? About 40 percent of emissions from farm animals consist of enteric methane. Nitrous oxide and methane from fertilizer management are other emissions from livestock. It is also very difficult to control these two resources, which arise as a result of a natural process. Es- pecially the growth in the world population and the rise in the demands for animal proteins indicate that these emissions will continue to increase in the coming years. According to the FAO and IPCC report, overall improvements in food security, poverty reduction, climate change adaptation, and economic perfor- mance in many developing countries take precedence over greenhouse gas reduction. In developed coun- tries, greenhouse gas reduction can become attractive to farmers when combined with animal productivity and farm productivity. The mentioned report provides important clues about what can be done to reduce greenhouse gases from livestock. This report states the following on the subject: "It is evident that alternative innovative tech- nologies are required to decrease net GHG emissions. Substantial research and pilot tests are being carried out by the Global Research Alliance relating to best practices for animal feed and nutrition, animal ge- netics and breeding, and rumen modification. Sub- stantial information is available on dietary changes to reduce methane (e.g. lipids, cereals, sugar concen- tration), all of which have a modestly positive effect, although the long-term effects remain unknown. The key challenge, however, verified by a small number of farmers who have adopted such measures, is the practicality and economics of the technology. To in- duce farmers to adopt innovative technologies with mitigation co-benefits, it is essential to demonstrate their economic benefits in the form of productivity and long-run profitability potential. Mitigation ben- efits in the form of reduced emissions alone are not enough to secure farmers buy in. There are limited options to reduce emissions from livestock in rangelands, unless animal stocks are lim- ited which, in turn, will negatively affect household incomes, especially those of the poor. Global emission intensities by commodity. All commodities are expressed in a per protein basis. Averages are calculated at global scale and represent an aggregated value across different production systems and agro- ecological zones. Source: FAO, Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model (GLEAM), Result, http://www.fao.org/gleam