PRESENTATION v2(Third/Fourth Level)

Lesson 2:

Sustainability and the Environment

This presentation will cover the following:

• Definition of Sustainable Food

• Carbon Footprint & Food Waste

• Greenhouse Gases (GHG) – Carbon Dioxide,

Methane & Nitrous Oxide

• Carbon Sequestration

• STEM for Sustainability

• Steps Scottish farmers are taking to be more

sustainable

• Economic & Social Sustainability

• How individuals (you) can help

• Key Points, Summary & Next Steps

Session Layout

Definition of Sustainable Food (Sustain)

There is no legal definition of 'sustainable food’.

Sustain (the alliance for better food and farming) have a working definition:

“Good food should be produced, processed, distributed and disposed of in ways that:

✓ Contribute to thriving local economies and sustainable livelihoods - both in

the UK and, in the case of imported products, in producer countries;

✓ Protect the diversity of both plants and animals and the welfare of farmed

and wild species,

✓ Avoid damaging or wasting natural resources or contributing to climate

change;

✓ Provide social benefits, such as good quality food, safe and healthy products,

and educational opportunities.”

Definition sourced from www.sustainweb.org

http://www.sustainweb.org/

Carbon Footprint

Every individual person, every item of food and every business has a carbon

footprint.

It is very difficult to accurately measure an individual’s carbon footprint as there are

so many variables involved, including: housing, electricity, fuels, water, travel, food,

product, service and waste.

Carbon Footprint of Food

The carbon footprint of food is defined as the effect that the food’s creation and it’s

journey has had on climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions.

This includes the amount of land and fresh water used across all stages of its

production, including: processing, packaging, and transportation, but excluding the

cooking process.

Carbon Footprint - Farming

In farming, a carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide or other carbon

compounds emitted into the atmosphere by the activities of a farm.

How it’s Calculated

The following details are collected:

• land area and type

• livestock numbers

• weight of livestock sold

• feed, fertiliser and fuel use

Many farmers calculate their carbon footprint using a tool called

AgriCalc.

The carbon footprint is expressed on a ‘per net unit of food product

leaving the farm’ basis.

Source: Farming for a Better Climate

For a beef unit, this would be in kg of greenhouse gas (normally a measure of all greenhouse gases but

expressed as a carbon dioxide equivalent CO2e) per kg cold carcase weight of beef sold.

Generally, a more efficient farm has a lower carbon footprint.

https://www.agrecalc.com/https://www.farmingforabetterclimate.org/improving-farm-profitability/carbon-footprinting-and-locking-in-carbon-on-the-farm/

Greenhouse Gases (GHG) From Farming

In livestock farming, the three gases that are emitted into the atmosphere by farming activities are:

• Carbon Dioxide CO²

• Methane CH⁴

• Nitrous Oxide N²0

The next three slides will explain a bit more about each of these gases.

On a farm, Carbon Dioxide comes from burning fossil fuels – the

use of oil, diesel and electricity including machinery and energy use.

• It can be anywhere from 2% to 10% of the farm’s emissions,

depending on farm type and activities.

• Lifetime in atmosphere - around 65-80% of CO2 emissions are

around for 20 to 200 years (remainder may be >1000s years)

• Carbon Dioxide is a stock gas which means that the amount in the

atmosphere builds as more fossil fuel is burned.

• Combustion of fossil fuels is directly contributing to the permanent

and irreversible increase of concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2).

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

The methane that comes from cattle (and wetlands) is called biogenic methane.

Biogenic methane:• is a natural bi-product of ruminant enteric fermentation (mainly cows/sheep’s burbs)• makes up around 40% of a farm’s emissions, depending on farm type. • is around 28 times more potent than

CO2. • lasts for approximately 12 years in

atmosphere.• Is a flow gas (it is recycled).

Methane (CH4)

Some scientists think that the way biogenic methane

emissions are calculated should be reconsidered.

A video created called Rethinking Methane has been

created to explain this theory. (Video – 4.58 mins)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOPrF8oyDYw

Nitrous Oxide is naturally produced in soils but levels can be increased by cultivation and Nitrogen fertiliser.

Could make up around 50%+ emissions depending on farm activities.

Nitrous oxide is around 310 times more potent than CO2.

Lifetime in atmosphere - lasts approximately 115 years in the atmosphere.

Nitrous Oxide (N2O)

Source: www.farmingforabetterclimate.org

http://www.farmingforabetterclimate.org/

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Summary

Type Source Amount of farm’s

emissions

Lifetime in

Atmosphere

Carbon Dioxide

Equivalent

Carbon

Dioxide

(CO2)

Burning fossil fuels 2% to 10%,

depending on farm

type and activities

around 65-80% of

CO2 emissions are

around for 20 to 200 years

(remainder >1000s years)

1

Methane

(CH4)

Natural bi-product of

livestock (cows/sheep’s

burbs)

around 40%,

depending on farm

type.

lasts approximately 12

years in atmosphere.

21 times more

potent than CO2.

Nitrous

Oxide

(N2O)

Naturally occurring from

soils – increased by

cultivation and fertiliser

application.

around 50%+,

depending on farm

activities.

lasts approximately 115

years in atmosphere.

310 times more

potent than CO2.

The table below highlights the different types of GHG released due to livestock farming activity.

DISCUSSION POINT: Looking at the table above, which of the gases do you think is most harmful to the environment?

Carbon Sequestration (Absorption)

Carbon sequestration is the process by which carbon is

incorporated into the soil through plant intake, lifecycle and

decomposition.

Soil carbon can be lost rapidly due to disturbances, including

cultivation (ploughing/preparing the soil for growing crops).

There are ways that farmers can increase their land’s carbon

capturing capacity – ie. Rotational grazing and reducing

cultivation.

It can take many years for organic matter to become stabilised in

soil and up to 100 years for soil to return to it’s pre-disturbed

carbon stock.

Sequestration rates are rapid to begin with but get progressively

slower over time.

The Biogenic Carbon Cycle

▪ Biogenic carbon is the emission related to the natural carbon cycle.

▪ The Biogenic Carbon Cycle centres on the ability of plants to absorb and sequester carbon.

▪ Plants have the unique ability to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and release oxygen into the atmosphere – photosynthesis.

▪ When plants perform photosynthesis, carbon is primarily converted to cellulose, a form of carbohydrate.

Source: UC Davis CLEAR Center

Cellulose is particularly high in grass (over 80% of Scotland is not suitable for growing fruit/veg/cereal

but suitable for grazing) which is indigestible to humans but suitable for feeding livestock.

https://clear.ucdavis.edu/explainers/biogenic-carbon-cycle-and-cattle

Glorious GrassFor many livestock farmers in Scotland, grass is their most important crop as it is the primary feed

source for cattle and sheep.

Ruminants (animals such as cattle/sheep that have 4 compartments to their stomach) are unique in

that they can consume grass and convert it into energy which can be converted into a nutrient dense

human protein (meat).

Grass does more than just feed animals, in addition it:

✓ Provides soil stability and prevents top soil depletion

✓ Reduces flooding

✓ Sequesters carbon

✓ Provides an ecosystem to many different species

✓ Enhances biodiversity both above and below the soil

✓ Is part of Scotland’s iconic landscape

To learn more about grass you can complete the ‘Glorious

Grass Activity’ as part of this ‘To Field’ lesson.

STEM for Sustainability

Genetics

Mapping Fields

Soil ScanningThermal Imaging

Drones

Smart Tractors – GPS

Texting Cows

Electronic Identification

Grass Measuring Technology

Automatic Weighing

Agribots

Precision Farming

There is a ‘STEM for Sustainability’ Task within this ‘To Field’ lesson.

The next slide shows a short video highlighting one example of how science and technology are

playing an important role in the research of red meat sustainability.

Farming is changing rapidly and advances in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM

subjects) are helping farmers to become more efficient and lower their farm’s carbon footprint.

Below are some examples of scientific, engineering and technological solutions farmers are using

to reduce their farm’s carbon footprint. More information on some of these can be found at:

https://www.nesta.org.uk/feature/precision-agriculture/

https://www.nesta.org.uk/feature/precision-agriculture/

STEM for SustainabilityThis video was created by Farm Platform at Rothamsted Research in partnership with the Centre for Innovation

Excellence in Livestock (CIEL) to highlight how science is being used to measure methane emissions.

Permission to use this video was granted by Rothamsted Research.

If the video doesn’t start automatically - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL11W7fkGoY&feature=youtu.be

https://www.cielivestock.co.uk/https://www.rothamsted.ac.uk/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL11W7fkGoY&feature=youtu.be

What farmers are doing…Steps farmers are taking to be more sustainable include:

✓ Taking action to control soil erosion.

✓ Protecting peatland and moorland from damage by avoiding ploughing, drainage and over grazing.

✓ Considering reduced cultivation to protect farm soils and reduce carbon losses.

✓ Managing existing farm woodlands and considering new planting.

✓ Creating wildlife corridors along water margins, field margins and headlands.

✓ Protecting and where necessary restoring wetlands including floodplain management.

✓ Planting trees and wildflowers.

✓ Ensuring farms are run efficiently

However, not all farmers are keen to make these changes.

The Scottish Government, who provide financial support to farmers, are now using financial incentives to

encourage reluctant farmers to take positive steps to help improve their sustainability.

The Challenges

Farmers must balance food production with land management.

Taking land out of food production for environmental measures

reduces the area that can be used for food production.

Many of the treatments to assist with animal welfare – wormer

for sheep for example – can be harmful to biodiversity.

Many sprays that are used to increase crop yield (produce

more food) and fight against pests and disease can have an

adverse affect on biodiversity.

As the population grows more agricultural ground is required for

housing.

By 2050 we may need to feed two billion more people globally. How can this be done sustainably?

Biodiversity is the existence of a wide variety of plant and animal species living in their natural environment and is the basis of agriculture.

Factors that need to be considered when considering biodiversity in livestock farming are the impact agriculture has on:

Biodiversity

✓ Insect pollinators

✓ Insects

✓ Farmland birds

✓ Waders

✓ Soil Biodiversity

✓ Wild animals

✓ Plants

✓ Woodland

✓ Water biodiversity

However, farmers need to balance this with the impact some of these measures can have on

productivity, other land users and animal welfare.

Farming practices can have a positive or negative impact on biodiversity. Sometimes a practice

can be positive for one species, but negative for another.

Farming practices that are undertaken to encourage biodiversity include:– water margins, field

margins, planning and maintaining trees & hedges and protecting known habitats.

DISCUSSION POINT: Sometimes a farming practice can be positive for one species, but negative for another species.

A farmer’s sheep are showing signs of worm burden (2 have died this week) and the vet has advised the farmer to give all the lambs a wormer.

This is pain-free process to the lambs and it will rid them of their worm burden and bring them back to good health & end their suffering.

However when the wormer has gone through the lambs, a proportion of it will end up in the soil and may kill a some of the microbes and insects in the soil.

What would you advise the farmer to do?

As we learned from Sustain’s definition, sustainability is about more that just environmental sustainability.

Economic & social sustainability are also important.

The red meat Industry:

✓ supports around 50,000 jobs, many of these are in remote, fragile areas.

✓ contributes over £2 billion to the Scottish economy annually.

✓ boosts tourism and recreation.

✓ protects family farming which is a way of life for many rural families.

Economic & Social Sustainability

✓ Reduce food waste (1/3 of the food we produce is wasted) & food miles.

✓ Think about packaging – it’s creation also emits carbon.

✓ Find out where your food comes from and how it is produced.

✓ Buy food produced locally and eat it when it is in season.

✓ Investigate if there are other ways you can reduce your own carbon footprint - food is just one factor.

✓ Find out what the labels mean and use them to inform your decisions.

What individuals (you) can do…

Key Points – 1

• There are many varying factors when measuring how sustainable food is.

• A carbon footprint is the effect of the foods journey on climate-warming greenhouse gas

emissions.

• The three types of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) produced by livestock farming are Carbon Dioxide,

Methane & Nitrous Oxide.

• Carbon sequestration is the process by which carbon is stored in the soil through plant intake,

lifecycle and decomposition. However it is a slow process and farming practices such as

cultivation can release stored carbon.

• Grass is important to livestock farmers and can be a tool in the fight against climate change.

Key Points – 2

• Economic & social sustainability are also important. The red meat Industry supports 50,000 jobs, many

of these are in remote, fragile areas and brings in over £2 billion for the Scottish economy annually.

• Farmers are taking many actions to be more sustainable including controlling soil erosion, reducing

cultivation to protect soils and reduce carbon loss, managing woodland, creating wildlife corridors,

conserving semi-natural grasslands and incorporating tree and wildflower planting into their farms.

• Farming is changing and advances in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths are helping

farmers to become more efficient and lower their farm’s carbon footprint and become more efficient.

• Scotland’s beef production is different to that globally as Scotland’s climate suits grass production, the

assurance scheme ensures high standards throughout the red meat food chain, there are high

standards of animal health & welfare and the Scottish SPCA work with Scottish farmers

• Scotland’s Carbon footprint for beef production is below the global average.

• Everyone can help by reducing food waste and food miles, recycling, eating locally and in season and

finding out where their food comes from and how it is produced.

Next Steps

• Feeding a growing global population Worksheet

• STEM for Sustainability Poster Activity

• Glorious Grass Activity

• To Field – Videos and Links

• To Field - Virtual Lesson Quiz

The following activities can be used to develop learning in this topic:

Content prepared by the Health & Education Team at Quality Meat Scotland

For further information contact: education@qmscotland.co.uk