Global population growth and increased demand for livestock and poultry products have led to the rapid development of the livestock and poultry industry. However, this growth has also resulted in environmental problems, such as increased greenhouse gas emissions. Livestock and poultry manure management systems have become a significant source of agricultural carbon emissions.
In order to address these issues, the United Nations has issued the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which calls for sustainable production practices and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 30%. To achieve this goal, it is essential to reduce the carbon emission intensity and implement renewable energy credits.
Professor Zhidan Liu and his colleagues from China Agricultural University have focused their research on the manure management system of livestock and poultry. They have studied the greenhouse gas and harmful gas emissions at various stages of manure collection, storage, and treatment. The researchers have also analyzed the carbon friendliness of different manure management technologies.
Their work, published in Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering, goes beyond previous studies that focused solely on resource recovery and technology. It delves into the concept of coordinated pollution reduction and carbon reduction, highlighting the technologies that can achieve both objectives.
The researchers have identified three stages in the livestock and poultry manure management system: collection, storage, and treatment. They recommend the use of dry collection technology and the addition of regulators, such as biochar, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions during storage. Various technologies, such as composting, anaerobic digestion, biochar, and microalgae, have been evaluated for their carbon emission reduction potential.
Factors such as regional distribution, temperature, livestock and poultry characteristics, manure treatment details, and social factors influence the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from the manure management system. Carbon emission accounting methods, including mass balance, measurement, and input-output methods, can help determine the carbon footprint of the system.
The researchers also emphasize the potential of carbon trading as a market-oriented energy-saving mechanism. China’s carbon market has been growing rapidly and has the potential for further development in the livestock and poultry manure management system. Efforts in technology, methodology, trading mechanisms, farming practices, and policy can contribute to the establishment of a robust carbon trading mechanism and help achieve carbon neutrality.
Source:
Livestock and Poultry Manure Management from the Perspective of Carbon Neutrality in China, Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering (2023). DOI: 10.15302/J-FASE-2023509