2 Feature Amino Acids and the Environment Ajinomoto Group Environmental Report 2009 19 The Ajinomoto Group, which has celebrated the 100th anniversary of its foundation, is now developing globally and mar- keting amino acid-based products, such as umami seasoning AJI-NO-MOTO ® , and services for a wide range of fields, including feed, health, and pharmaceutical fields. Amino acids, which are the essential elements for all life, have profound possibilities. The business of the Ajinomoto Group is deeply related to life, and by expanding its amino acid business the Group contributes to solving problems concerning global resources and the environment while supplying people with tasty and healthy food products. Exploring the Possibilities for Amino Acids —the Essential Elements for Life Expansion of amino acid business Feed-use amino acids Functional foods Sweeteners Pharmaceuticals Cosmetics Specialty chemicals Others Umami seasoning AJI-NO-MOTO ®
Transcript
2Feature Amino Acids and the Environment
Ajinomoto Group Environmental Report 200919
The Ajinomoto Group, which has celebrated the 100th anniversary of its foundation, is now developing globally and mar-
keting amino acid-based products, such as umami seasoning AJI-NO-MOTO®, and services for a wide range of fi elds,
including feed, health, and pharmaceutical fi elds. Amino acids, which are the essential elements for all life, have profound
possibilities. The business of the Ajinomoto Group is deeply related to life, and by expanding its amino acid business the
Group contributes to solving problems concerning global resources and the environment while supplying people with tasty
and healthy food products.
Exploring the Possibilities for Amino Acids—the Essential Elements for Life
The Ajinomoto Group’s amino acid business has been contributing to the environment and development in many regions of
the world. The Group produces amino acids, which are essential elements for life, at its global sites by fermenting locally har-
vested agricultural products such as sugar cane and cassava. The amino acid production process generates co-products in
amounts that are several times larger than those of the main products, the amino acids. These co-products, which are also
rich in natural nutrients, are supplied to local agricultural and livestock farmers and fi shermen for use as feed and fertilizers.
Feed-use amino acids are particularly expected to be more extensively utilized in the livestock industry around the world be-
cause they can greatly help reduce the environmental impact, and accordingly, the Group is pursuing more opportunities in its
amino acid business. To minimize the environmental impact of the CO2 emitted during the Group’s
production of amino acids by fermentation, individual production sites in each country have been
implementing progressive measures and outstanding results are beginning to emerge.
Considering the Environment and Making Environmental Contributions throughout the Lifecycle of Amino Acid Production
Ecological production Ecological use
Products and servicesLogisticsProcurementDevelopment Communication
The Ajinomoto Group makes its amino acid products using locally procured agricultural products. To ensure sus-tainable procurement, the Group is strengthening cooperation with the local agricultural industry and help-ing them to produce more harvests through the “Bio-cycle,” a resource recycling-oriented framework.
Case
The Bio-cycle p. 21-22
Amino acids, which support all life, are expected to contribute to the environment through their inherent functions. The Group is exploring new possibilities for amino acids using its accumulated expertise in life science.
Case
Environmental contribution through feed-use amino acids
p. 25-26
By-products from the amino acid production process are also rich in nutrients. The Group turns these by-products into co-products and makes the most effi cient use of them in fertilizers and feed. The Group is striving to add higher value to these co-products.
Case
Co-products p. 23-24
Through the fermentation process, natural materials (sugars) are trans-formed into amino acids, which are then refined. This process requires more water and energy compared with general food production. In light of this fact, the Group is committed to reducing discharged water, waste, and CO2 emissions from its amino acid production process to zero as a group-wide target.
Case
Zero emission activities across the world
p. 21-22
Initiatives in progress based on four key pointsProcurement
Production activities
Production activities
Products and services
Production activities
Toward sustainable procurement ................................. Cooperates with and contributes to the local agricultural industry
Minimizes the environmental impact of production ..........................................................................................
Endeavors to achieve zero emissions for CO2, discharged water, and other waste
Values the bounty of nature .................................................. Makes full use of by-products as co-products
POINT 1Local cooperation
POINT 2Zero emissions
POINT 3Full utilization
POINT 4Environmental contribution
Contributes to the environment through product functions .............................................................................
Explores the potential of amino acids and their co-products to enhance their environmentally benefi cial functions and value
Suger cane (left)
Cassava (right)
POINT 1 POINT 2 POINT 3 POINT 4
Strengthening local cooperation Zero emissions
Making full use of by-products
Enhancing environmentally benefi cial functions
Ajinomoto Group Environmental Report 200921
The Ajinomoto Group delivers its amino acid products to con-
sumers all over the world. The Group’s representative product is
AJI-NO-MOTO®, and it manufactures this and other amino acid
products at its plants in Asia, the Americas, and Europe using lo-
cally cultivated agricultural products such as sugar cane, cassava,
and corn as the raw materials.
A prerequisite for the sustainable procurement of local agricultural
products is the necessity for the Ajinomoto Group to ensure that
these products are grown taking into account the quality of the soil
and the local environment. To achieve this, the Group has been co-
operating with local farmers in the areas where it has manufacturing
Amino Acid Production and EcologyOne prerequisite for the production of amino acids is the necessity to constantly procure agricultural
products to be used as raw materials. The Ajinomoto Group has been producing amino acids using
its Bio-cycle, a resource recycling-oriented manufacturing framework, for more than 30 years.
In addition, the fermentation process requires a lot of water and energy, and accordingly it is es-
sential to minimize the environmental impact by implementing measures to save energy and reduce
the load of discharged water generated during the process.
Based on this recognition, the Ajinomoto Group is engaged in a range of zero emission activities
at all plants where amino acids are manufactured by the fermentation process, both inside and out-
side Japan.
The Bio-cycle—A recycling-oriented framework for amino acid production
The Ajinomoto Group has its amino acid manufacturing plants in multiple
countries and regions, which provide different manufacturing infrastruc-
tures, waste utilization options, and energy sources. Accordingly, each
of the plants is devising and implementing its own measures to achieve
“zero emissions,” which is the Group’s common target.
CO2 emissions by the Ajinomoto Group totaled 2.31 million tons in
fiscal 2008, and emissions by its plants outside Japan accounted for
77% of the total, because the Group has a lot of amino acid manufactur-
ing plants outside the country. To reduce their emissions, the amino acid
plants across the world have been introducing equipment appropriate
for respective local business operations and infrastructures and have
already achieved results.
For example in Brazil, a highly energy-effi cient mechanical vapor re-
compression (MVR) technique was introduced to all five major amino
acid manufacturing plants of the Group. Also in Indonesia, the Mojokerto
Factory introduced a cogeneration system with dramatically high energy
effi ciency to reduce its CO2 emissions.
Fostering zero emission activities in the manufacturing phase across the world
plants for amino acids for more than 30 years, aiming to establish a
recycling-oriented amino acid production framework called the “Bio-
cycle” in each of the areas.
In the Bio-cycle, after amino acids are extracted from the fermen-
tation liquors made from locally procured agricultural products, the
remaining liquids (by-products), which are also rich in nutrients, are
processed into organic fertilizer. The fertilizer is then supplied to local
farms to help improve their productivity. The Bio-cycle now serves as
a model for recycling-oriented agriculture, which makes it possible to
effectively use the blessings of nature in the locality and also to con-
tribute to reducing the environmental load in the area.
Cane molasses (Syrup derived from sugar cane)
1.5 million tons
Absorption of atmospheric CO2 by photosynthesis
Chemical fertilizer
28 million tons
Raw sugar
4.2 million tons
Sugar cane crop
38 million tons
Sun
Umami seasoning AJI-NO-MOTO®
Product
500,000 tons
Bio-cycle
500,000 hectares
Sugar cane fields
By-products recovered as useful resources
By-products recovered as useful resources
Co-products
HarvestHarvest
The amount of nitrogen in chemical fertilizers can be reduced by about 70%
Organic fertilizer:
1.6 million tons
By-products: 1.6 million
tonsAJI-NO-MOTO® manufacturing
plant
Sugar production
plant
The chart assumes worldwide an-nual production of approximately 500,000 tons of AJI-NO-MOTO® seasoning produced by the Ajinomoto Group using only sugar cane. The val-ues for sugar cane grown and sugar production represent average global use, while the values for resources used for producing AJI-NO-MOTO® and values for by-products are based on actual Ajinomoto Group statistics.
For the Group’s initiatives to reduce GHG emissions and the load of discharged water, please also see p. 39-41
MVR process introduced to the Valparaiso Plant in Brazil. As a result of introducing this process to the fi ve major plants in Brazil, their annual CO2 emissions were reduced by about 50,000 tons in total.
Steam turbine power generator at the Mjokerto Factory in Indonesia, which produces electricity using steam generated with the waste heat recovered from the gas tur-bine and reduces CO2 emissions by about 20%.
Procurement
Production activities
POINT 1Local cooperation
POINT 2Zero emissions
Amino Acids and the Environment
Ajinomoto Group Environmental Report 2009 22
T O P I C S
Double Bio-cycles evolved in ThailandAjinomoto Co., (Thailand) Ltd. uses sugar cane and cassava as the
main raw materials to produce amino acids. To date, as with the
Group factories in other regions, the company has been converting
by-products that are generated during the manufacturing process
into organic fertilizers, while implementing Bio-cycle that helps
improve the growth of locally produced sugar cane, cassava and
rice. In addition to these efforts, the Kamphaeng Phet Factory of
Ajinomoto Co., (Thailand) Ltd., which aims to be a “Green Factory,”
has introduced a new boiler which utilizes local biomass as an en-
ergy source. This has brought about “Double Bio-cycles,” further
benefi tting the local community.
■ Halving CO2 emissions through adoption of a biomass boiler
The factory started to operate a biomass boiler in December 2008
to reduce CO2 emissions from manufacturing processes. Rather
than heavy oil, this boiler is fueled by rice husks from rice cultivated
in neighboring regions. Rice husks, which are an unused agricultur-
ally derived resource, are carbon neutral1. The factory expects to re-
duce CO2 emissions by half and hopes that the boiler brings benefi ts
not only for the factory, but also for the local communities. This new
initiative has been dubbed the “Energy Bio-cycle.”
1. Carbon neutral: Biological plants absorb CO2 by photosynthesis in their growth pe-
riod, which offsets CO2 emissions from their incineration. So the CO2 emissions have
no impact on the atmospheric CO2 emissions.
2. Clean Development Mechanism (CDM): One of the mechanisms set forth in the Kyoto
Protocol. It enables projects that reduce emissions in developing country parties to
be funded by entities in industrialized countries in return for credits for any emissions
reductions that result from the project.
Biomass boiler completion ceremony
(March 26, 2009)
Huge silo in which about one month’s
supply of rice husks (10,000 tons) can
be stored (photo on the left) and the
biomass boiler (photo on the right)
Rice husks are fed
to the boiler by a
belt conveyor
Efforts made by Ajinomoto Co., (Thailand) Ltd. to become a green factory
Using locally produced biomass as the energy source to reduce CO2 emissions
To enrich the diet of the Thai people
Rice mill
CO2 CO2
Sugar production plant
Rice paddy fi eld
Recycling local resources
Green Factory
Using local resources
Green Technology
Kamphaeng Phet Factory of Ajinomoto Co., (Thailand) Ltd.
Rice Raw sugar
<Co-products>
<Main product>
To enrich the local soil(To harvest a range of crops)
Rice Sugar cane
Umami seasoningAJI-NO-MOTO
®
Sugar cane fi eld
Rice husks Cane molasses
Green energy
Energy source
Green raw materials
Materials for amino acids
Organic fertilizer
■ CDM project introduced for the fi rst time in the Ajinomoto Group
The Japanese and Thai governments approved the above initiative
as a CDM2 project in March and May, 2009 respectively and the
Ajinomoto Group is applying for the project to be registered as a
United Nation’s CDM project.
Absorbing atmospheric
CO2 by photosynthesis
Ajinomoto Group Environmental Report 200923
Another Product—Co-products— and EcologyThe Ajinomoto Group has established locally-contributing and recycling-oriented manufacturing process-
es so that nutrient-rich by-products that are generated in the amino acid production processes can be
returned to agriculture, fi sheries and livestock farming to make the best possible use of them as fertilizer
and livestock feed.
By-products are the residual liquid after amino acid is taken from the fermentation process of agricul-
tural products and are rich in nutrients including organic substances and minerals.
The Ajinomoto Group treats this by-product as a source of another important co-product, and makes
efforts to promote it as a high-value product.
Rich in nutrients, by-products from the amino acid production process are
recognized as another valuable bounty of nature and are fully utilized as fertil-
izer and livestock feed. The Group promotes the development of co-products
in the same way as its amino acids.
Although about 90% of co-products are turned into fertilizer mainly in the
agricultural industry, the effects and application vary depending on the regions
and agricultural product. Further research and verifi cation are underway.
In addition, using the same concept of returning the bounty of nature to
the agricultural industry, the Group is working on R&D to contribute not only to
agriculture but also to livestock and fi sheries.
Co-products = High-value-added product
Expanded use of co-products across the globe
FD Green (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Kyushu Plant of Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (Japan)
Ajinomoto Interamericana Industria e Comercio Ltda. and Ajinomoto Biolatina Industria e Comercio Ltda. (Brazil)
FD Green (Thailand) Co., Ltd. is mainly engaged in
the recycling of agricultural resources for Ajinomoto
Co., (Thailand) Ltd. This company is actively con-
ducting R&D and PR activities for the effective use
of co-products under the slogan “We Will Make the
World Green,” and has established its position as a
top manufacturer of fertilizers in Thailand.
The Kyushu Plant manufactures liquid and solid fertil-
izers using the by-products generated in its amino
acid fermentation process. The plant is developing
fertilizers that can improve the growth and yield of
crops by testing their effectiveness as soil and foliar
spray fertilizers and as fertilizers for wet-rice farming.
AJIFOL, which represents the Ajinomoto Group’s
high-value-added co-products, was or ig inal ly
produced in its fermentation plants in Brazil. This
product has been utilized as foliar spray fertilizer
mainly for citrus fruits for about 20 years. In addition,
it enables large-scale application and is widely used
as a liquid fertilizer for major crops in Brazil, such as
sugar cane, oranges, and coffee, and contributes to
the agricultural output of the country, one of the lead-
ing agricultural countries in the world.
Eiji MajimaGeneral Manager,
Production and Technology Administration Center,
Amino Acids Company, Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
In order to accumulate more knowl-
edge and exper tise to strengthen
the Ajinomoto Group’s co-product
business, including data on the ef-
fective use of co-products on local
crops, which had been promoted at
the Group’s amino acid manufacturing
plants across the globe, we launched
the “A-Link” project. Under this project,
we will develop higher-value-added
and in-demand co-products through
collaboration between the Group’s
production sites and regional technol-
ogy centers around the world and the
research institutes of Ajinomoto Co.,
Inc. AJIFOL, which is a spray fertilizer
for use on the leaves of plants to help
them absorb nutrients, is an example
of the Group’s h igh-va lue-added
co-products.
To produce higher-value-added co-products
Solid fertilizer whose effect lasts for a long period
AJIFOL and other foliar sprays
Silage additive
Solid fertilizer Dried bacterial cell Liquid feed
Liquid fertilizer
High-value-added co-product named
AJIFOL
Solid fertilizer Liquid fertilizer
Production activities
POINT 3Full utilization
Trademarks are indicated by italics.
Amino Acids and the Environment
T O P I C S
Ajinomoto Group Environmental Report 2009 24
Hoang Van Quoc ChuongDepartment Manager of ADD
Ajinomoto Vietnam Co., Ltd.
For Ajinomoto Vietnam Co., Ltd. to continue its amino acid
production, it is essential for the company to secure a
stable supply of agricultural products to be used as materi-
als. Presently, however, the area under cultivation has been
decreasing in Vietnam, and the viability of agriculture itself
will be threatened unless production effi ciency is improved
over the present level. To maintain the sustainability of our
business, it is therefore essential to help improve local ag-
riculture. To this end, we supply fertilizers of stable quality
to local farmers at reasonable prices and also provide them
with a range of information, including tips on how to use the
fertilizers effectively. We aim to contribute not only to the
dietary habits of the general population, but also to local
agriculture in the country.
A liquid fertilizer, “AMI-AMI®” is a representative co-product of
Ajinomoto Vietnam Co., Ltd. and is utilized as a fertilizer for various
agricultural products cultivated in Vietnam. Vietnam is heavily de-
pendent on agriculture, with more than 50% of the total population
engaged in the production of a variety of products such as rice,
vegetables, and fruits. By providing effective fertilizers that contrib-
ute to a better harvest, the company is helping to improve the lives
of the people. Ajinomoto Vietnam Co., Ltd, is playing a vital role in
establishing recycle-oriented agriculture that makes the best pos-
sible use of the blessing of nature in local communities.
Agricultural development in Vietnam essential to a better life of the people
Ajinomoto Vietnam Co., Ltd. works to improve the lives of the people
Co-products “supply back” the benefi ts to farms
Cabbages grown with the use of AMI-AMI®
Tank truck used for delivering AMI-AMI® Delivering small amounts by motorbike
Experimental use of
AMI-AMI® at a farm
growing pomeloes
It is necessary to provide individual farmers with detailed informa-
tion on how to use the fertilizers as well as their effects. Ajinomoto
Vietnam Co., Ltd. established Agriculture Development Department
(ADD) to do this and carry out other tasks related to co-products,
which are considered equally as important as amino acids production.
ADD implements basic research and experiments to enhance
productivity in applying the fertilizer and provides detailed assis-
tance to promote its use. It also verifi es the effectiveness of applying
the fertilizer in different locations and on different crops together
with public institutions, in order to obtain certifi cation for the fertil-
izer. The results of the research, experiments and verification are
provided to farmers by technical staff through TV programs, techni-
cal training and the like.
Special department set up to provide detailed assistance for the co-products business
Ajinomoto Vietnam Co., Ltd. purchases a large amount of cassava-
derived starch for use as a raw material in the fermentation process
for amino acid production. Producing one ton of umami seasoning
Co., Inc. has production bases in fi ve countries in
the world (France, U.S.A., Thailand, China, and
Brazil), which together form a global AJINOMOTO
ANIMAL NUTRITION Group. In particular in Eu-
rope, feed-use amino acids are being increas-
ingly used in recognition of their environmental
benefits in addition to the nutritious effects. In
the future, feed-use amino acids are expected to
be more widely used by the livestock industry all
over the world, which will in turn help reduce the
environmental impact of the industry.
Feed-Use Amino Acids and Ecology
Loic Le TutourMarketing Director
AJINOMOTO EUROLYSINE S.A.S.
In Europe, very close attention has been paid to “sustainability of animal production” for a long time. Nitrogen pollution from inten-sive livestock production is strictly regulated in the EU, and as an example, the use of amino acids added to feed to reduce dietary protein is offi cially recognized as the “Best Available Technique” (BAT) to manage the nitrogen content in manure of livestock animals. More recently, some research groups have been mak-ing efforts to raise awareness and expand the call for more envi-ronmentally friendly livestock farming by calculating the carbon footprints of livestock products including the nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions that are generated mainly through the manure treatment process. Ajinomoto Eurolysine S.A.S. is closely communicating and cooperating with those researchers, and it wishes to further contribute to the realization of sustainable livestock production.
Three contributions made by feed-use amino acids
The use of feed-use amino acids also en-
ables the simultaneous achievement of in-
creased food production and environmental
conservation. Common compound feeds
for livestock are composed of ingredients
such as corn and soybean meal. Nutrition-
ally, 50 tons of soybean meal in 1,000 tons
of compound feed can be replaced with
48.5 tons of corn and 1.5 tons of crystal-
line lysine. Since the yield per unit of land
for corn, which is also the raw material for
lysine, is about three times higher than that
of soybeans, about 18 hectares of farmland
can be saved by making the switch from
soybean to corn production.
Nitrogen compounds from manure and
urine are oxidized/reduced by soil and air,
with some nitrogen being released into the
atmosphere as nitrous oxide (N2O). The
greenhouse ef fect of N2O is about 300
times that of CO2. N2O has the next largest
impact on total global warming after CO2
and methane. The use of feed-use amino
acids can contribute to the prevention of
global warming by reducing the amount of
nitrogen contained in livestock excrement,
which causes the generation of N2O.
When animals are given feeds that are
deficient in even one of the amino acids
needed, the body cannot effectively use
the other amino acids. These end up be-
ing wasted and excreted as n i trogen
compounds. Excessive excretion of these
compounds can have an impact on soil and
water. Supplementing the deficient amino
acids with feed-use amino acids improves
the effi ciency with which the animals’ bod-
ies utilize amino acids. This leads to a lower
amount of excreted nitrogen and helps re-
duce environmental load.
Less environmental load on soil and water
—Reducing nitrogen in the excreta from livestock—
Combatting global warming—Suppressing the generation of N2O—
Helping solve food problems—Effective utilization of farmland—
Situation in Europe—region with the most advanced and environmentally friendly livestock production
Effects of feed-use amino acids based on the Barrel Theory
Amino acids are essential nutrients for all animals. In particular, amino acids that cannot be synthesized within the body—known as essen-tial amino acids—must be obtained through the diet. However, there are amino acids that tend to be defi cient in conventional compound feeds such as corn, wheat and soybean meal given to livestock. Feed-use amino acids—represented by lysine, threonine, and tryptophan—are used to compensate for these defi ciencies.
LysineThe essential amino acid most likely to be defi cient
in livestock feeds.
<Unbalanced barrel> <Barrel with added lysine>
Am
ino
acid
s th
at c
anno
t b
e us
ed e
ffect
ivel
y
Isol
euci
ne
Thre
onin
e
Valin
e
Lysi
ne
Tryp
top
han
Leuc
ine
Met
hion
ine
+ C
yste
ine
Met
hion
ine
+ C
yste
ine
Isol
euci
ne
Thre
onin
e
Valine
Lysi
ne
Tryp
top
han
Leuc
ine
Phenylalanine +
tyrosine
Phenylalanine +
tyrosine
When animals are given feeds that are deficient in even one of
the amino acids needed, the body cannot effectively use the other amino acids and they will
be excreted.
By adding lysine, which tends to be lacking in feed, all other amino acids can be used effectively.
Products and services
POINT 4Environmental contribution
Combatting global warming through feed-use amino acids
Amino Acids and the Environment
Ajinomoto Group Environmental Report 2009 26
Izuru ShinzatoManager,
R&D Group, Animal Nutrition Department,
Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
We ver i f ied our assumption that
feed-use amino acids were effective
for the reduction of N2O emissions
from the manure treatment process,
which accounts for the largest per-
centage of the total N2O emissions
from livestock excrement. We will
press forward with our verification
work and widely publicize the effect
of feed-use amino acids on reducing
greenhouse gases.
The amount of nitrogen excreted by pigs and poultry given feed-use amino acids as supplements has been found to be about 30% smaller than the amount excreted with only conventional feed. The Ajinomoto Group has been
verifying the greenhouse gas reduction effect of feed-use amino acids and actively discloses the results to spread the use of these amino acids and their effect across the world.
Conducting verifi cation testsThe Ajinomoto Group has been trying to quantify the effect
of feed-use amino acids, such as lysine, on the reduction
of N2O. In a joint research project with the National Institute
of Livestock and Grassland Science of the National Agricul-
ture and Food Research Organization (Japan) and Niigata
University, the Group compared N2O emissions from the
manure treatment process between pigs given a feed-
use amino acid-added low-protein feed and pigs given a
conventional feed (high-protein feed with no amino acids
added). Just as the Group had assumed, the test results
implied that N2O emissions would decrease with a supple-
ment of feed-use amino acids in proportion to the decrease
in the amount of nitrogen contained in the excrement. The
results were presented at the 111th general meeting of the
Japanese Society of Animal Science held at the University
of the Ryukyus on September 28 and 29, 2009.
Expectations for a decrease in N2O emissions from the Japanese livestock industryAjinomoto Co., Inc. applied to the Offsetting Credit (J-VER)
Scheme,1 in order to obtain carbon offset credits for feed-use
amino acid-added low-protein feed as a technology to reduce
N2O emissions from pig farming. At present, the feed, which
is recognized as a greenhouse gas reduction technology in
the agriculture and fisheries fields, is under examination for
credit certifi cation. If certifi ed under the J-VER Scheme, amino
acid-added low-protein feed will become more popular in the
Japanese livestock industry and help reduce greenhouse gas
emissions from the industry.
Rivers and oceans
SoilGroundwater
Nitrous acid/nitric acid
8%
NOxAmmonia
N20
N20
73%
N20
19%
Urea nitrogen
Feces and urine
The amount of nitrogen contained in livestock manure can be reduced by about 30% by adding feed-use amino acids to low-protein feed.
N2O emitted from the subsequent processes are also expected to be reduced by a similar percentage.
The amount emitted by the oxidization/reduction of ammonia and NOx generated from manure accounts for 8% of the total.
The amount emitted from the manure treatment process accounts for at least 70% of the total.
The amount emitted from soil and surface water accounts for 19% of the total.
Manure treatment process (composting,
wastewater treatment, etc.)
Mechanism of greenhouse gas (N2O) generation from livestock excreta
Measured N2O emissions from the treatment of pig excrement
Nitrogen contained in feces and urine decreased after giving amino acid-added low-protein feed, and the N2O generation rates (%) in the composting and wastewater treat-ment processes were almost the same between pigs given amino acid-added low-protein feed and those given conventional feed.
The test results implied that total N2O emissions (in grams) would decrease in propor tion to the decrease in nitrogen contained in the excrement.
(grams)
Down 39%
Down 11%
It was verified that the nitrogen amount decreased by about 30% in total.
0
15
30
45
60
75
90
Nitrogen in urine Nitrogen in feces
Nitrogen content of feces and urine during the three-day measurement period
Conventional feed (corn + soybean meal)
Amino acid-added low-protein feed
1. The Japanese Verified Emissions Reduction Certification Scheme (Offsetting
Credit [J-VER] Scheme) was announced by the Ministry of the Environment in
November 2008. Under this scheme, the Ministry gives offi cial carbon offset
credits for the reductions of greenhouse gas emissions achieved by businesses
(e.g. hog farmers), and the businesses can sell these credits to make a profi t.
