Feature

 

 

Cowboy logic explains greenhouse gas, agriculture link
Feb. 16, 2006
New booklet shows minor changes in livestock management can often produce a double-barrel benefit.
When Canadian livestock producers improve production efficiency, they are also making strides in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. That’s the basic message for cattle producers in a new booklet now available across Canada.

The “Greenhouse Gas Sinks and Sources Tour Guide for Canadian Beef Producers” is a very user-friendly, 50-page booklet that lays down the fundamentals of the greenhouse gas issue, says Lee Pengilly, a Saskatchewan rancher, consultant and writer who produced the guide on behalf of the beef sector of the Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Program for Canadian Agriculture (GHGMP).

“For a lot of producers, the confusing part is knowing what it is about livestock production that affects greenhouse gas emissions,” says Pengilly, who, along with her husband Ben, farms near Melville, Sask. “What practices contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, and what can I do to change it?”

Production of the Sinks and Sources Tour Guide is one of the projects partially funded by Agriculture and Agri-food Canada’s GHGMP. The beef sector of the GHGMP is administered through the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. Part of the mandate of the program is to provide education and awareness of greenhouse gas issues. Other participants in the program include the Soil Conservation Council of Canada, the Canadian Pork Council, and the Dairy Farmers of Canada.

Cowboy common sense

In the Sinks and Sources Tour Guide, Pengilly uses what she describes as “cowboy common sense” to explain in basic language and with humour what is often viewed as the complicated interaction between modern-day agriculture and greenhouse gas emissions.

The guide explains the various cycles – the mineral cycle, the forage and grass succession cycle and the water cycle – that are naturally occurring. It describes the greenhouse gas issues and also explains increasingly common terms such as the carbon cycle, methane cycle and nitrous oxide cycle. Carbon, methane and nitrous oxide are three of the most common greenhouse gases related to agricultural activity.

Another side of the Greenhouse Gas story

Here’s one excerpt from the Sinks and Sources Guide book, which provides a bit of background from the Cowboy’s point of view.

“Now, there is another important side to this Greenhouse Gas story folks like you and me who manage land that can grow grass, trees or crops of any sort, might be interested in.

“You see, soon after scientists got into this discussion about increasing levels of greenhouse gases and their potential impact on the climate, politicians got wind of the fact there was a good debate going on. Sure as spring follows winter, they got involved.

“Well, about that time, most every industry you can think of figured they should have some say in this too. There have been meetings from Rio de Janeiro in South America to Kyoto in Japan with meetings in between and meetings since and meetings in the planning. The one most of us heard about was held in Kyoto. Some of the countries attending that “chin-wag” came to create the Kyoto Protocol.

“The way I heard it is the squabble that took place in Kyoto’s Community Hall would shame a flock of magpies fighting over a dish of dog kibbles. Some countries, by being part of this agreement, have decided to reduce their “greenhouse gas emissions stocking rate.” Canada has chosen to partake and through the agreement we, as a country, have some pretty serious reductions to make.

“It’s my understanding some industries are going to be highly regulated in how much they have to reduce their emissions. Agriculture on the other hand –given the importance of producing food – is not to be formally regulated. We are however, expected to do our part voluntarily. That should sit well with us, given our preference to “doing the right thing” as compared to “being told what to do.”
One of the goals of the greenhouse gas mitigation program is to promote practices which reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by growing plants, which must have carbon dioxide and solar energy in order to grow. One of the easiest techniques to do this is to produce more forages and maintain healthy and vigorously growing pastures and hay stands. A portion of the carbon dioxide taken in from the atmosphere by the plants is eventually stored in plant tissue and in the soil.

Dual benefits

“Improved grazing management, for example, can increase the longevity of pasture grasses and other forages,” says Pengilly. “More and better quality forage is good for the livestock producer and can help improve rates of gain or increase stocking densities. And the longer a producer can maintain that perennial forage stand, the more carbon that is sequestered. Once a field has to be worked up for reseeding, stored carbon is lost to the atmosphere. That’s where the ‘sinks and sources’ reference comes from in the guide. With carbon, the sink is the healthy forage stand that is sequestering carbon and the source is the tillage operation that releases stored carbon. And depending on the type of greenhouse gas, there can be a wide range of sinks and sources on the farm.”

In a quote from the guide book, “The message as I see it is ‘greenhouse gas emissions’ represent a loss of production efficiency”, the Cowboy writes. “Now there is nothing like the word ‘loss’ to perk up our ears and ways to reduce those loses hold special interest not only to us, but to our good friends in the banking industry as well. That being said the Greenhouse Gas Tour will focus on improving production efficiencies by reducing or removing greenhouse gases.”

An important message throughout the Sinks and Source guide is that practices that improve production efficiency, such as rotational grazing systems, improve feed management and feed quality and proper nutrient and manure management not only improve ranching profitability but also help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“It’s a classic win/win situation,” says Pengilly. “If you can increase beef gains on less feed, capture more of the nutrient value of manure and improve pasture productivity and quality, it all contributes to improved production and, at the same time, reduces greenhouse gas emissions.”

The Guide not only explains the basics but also provides several worksheets so producers can evaluate their current production practices and, in another section of the guide, producers consider changes that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Good learning tool

“We’re hoping producers will go through the guide, have a better understanding of the issues and look at management changes that not only improve their overall production efficiency but also reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” says Pengilly.

“While the guide explains the issues for producers, we also hope it can be used as an education tool in school classrooms and among 4-H clubs across the country. If we can get young people thinking about this, it will help bring the message home to all generations.”

Free copies of the Sinks and Sources Tour Guide are available through provincial beef producer associations and also from the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association by calling (403) 275-8558 or online by visiting www.cattle.ca  and making a request under the “contact us” link.

© Canadian Cattlemen's Association, 2006.
 

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