News & Events

The DairyMix team has been quite busy as we edge closer to the autumn season.

A highlight of our recent activities was Xabier Diaz de Otalora’s Invited Talk at the EAAP – European Federation of Animal Science Conference in Florence. The talk, aptly named “Towards future sustainable dairy farming systems: An Integrated, adapted and circular approach,” showcased the impressive work conducted during the MilKey Project and DairyMix Project. The participants included Aurelie Wilfart, Joanna Fratczak-Müller, Lorraine Balaine, Giorgio Ragaglini, Federico Dragoni and Barbara Amon. More details about the conference are available at: Eaap2024.org

Meanwhile, at the 53rd Congress of the Italian Society for Agronomy (SIA) in Matera, Italy, Giorgio Ragaglini and Nicola Alessi from the Università degli Studi di Milano presented a poster titled “Modelling cropping systems of case study farms to assess nitrogen use efficiency and circularity of Dairy Production Systems”. It was authored by Nicola Alessi, Serena Bonizzi, Marco Botta, Mara Gabbrielli, Maddalena Enrica Zucali, Anna Alfea Sandrucci, Federico Dragoni and Giorgio Ragaglini. The research is focused on assessing the nitrogen use efficiency and circularity of dairy production systems in Europe. More details about the conference can be found at: convegno.siagr.it

At the EmiLi2024 conference International Symposium on Gas and Dust Emissions from livestock in Valencia, David Janke gave a compelling talk. Entitled “Experimental investigation of a low-cost online monitoring tool to manage barn climate and emissions from livestock housing systems,” the talk’s authors included David Janke, Harsh Sahu, Wajif Umar, Kobe Coorevitz, Redmond Shamshiri, Long Chen, Thomas Amon, and Barbara Amon. More details about the conference can be found at EmiLi2024 Conference.

Dr. Habtamu Alem (NIBIO, Norway) has recently published two studies focused on Norwegian dairy farms. The first article “A parametric analysis of eco-efficiency and its determinants: Evidence from Norwegian dairy farms”, in The Journal of Agricultural Economics, examines the eco-efficiency of Norwegian dairy farms over 30 years, focusing on methane (CH4) emissions. Analyzing data from 692 farms between 1991 and 2020, the study used a translog input distance function to estimate eco-efficiency scores and identify influential factors.

Findings: Norwegian dairy farms have room for improvement, with an average eco-efficiency score of 0.95, indicating a potential 5% reduction in input use and CH4 emissions while maintaining output. Factors such as secure land tenure, farming experience, and government subsidies positively impact eco-efficiency. Renting land also showed benefits by allowing flexibility for environmentally friendly practices.

Implications: The study aligns with similar research from Alberta, Switzerland, and Ireland, highlighting the role of socioeconomic factors in eco-efficiency. Secure land tenure, experience, and government support are crucial, though the effect of subsidies remains debated.

Conclusions: Alem suggests that Norwegian dairy farms can boost eco-efficiency through best practices and effective use of government support. Policymakers are encouraged to promote information sharing among top-performing farms for sustainable agricultural development. Future research should consider additional environmental factors for a broader understanding of eco-efficiency in dairy farming.

The second article “Measuring dynamic and static eco-efficiency in Norwegian dairy farms: a parametric approach”, published in “Frontiers in Environmental Economics” investigated eco-efficiency in Norwegian dairy farms between 1991 and 2020. The study investigates how well these farms manage resources and greenhouse gas emissions, specifically methane, while producing dairy products. The researchers used both dynamic and static models to provide a comprehensive picture. The dynamic model evaluates how efficiency varies over time, whereas the static model provides a snapshot at precise points. Accurate measurement was achieved using stochastic frontier analysis (SFA), a technology well suited to agricultural research.

Key Findings: The study reveals promising results: Norwegian dairy farms boast a mean eco-efficiency score of 0.94 according to the dynamic model and 0.90 according to the static model. These scores suggest farms could potentially increase production by 6-10% without needing more resources. However, inefficiencies are present, with some farms lagging best performers in resource utilization. The research also highlights advancements in agricultural technology within the sector. Factors that positively impact eco-efficiency include secure land ownership, experienced farmers, and government subsidies. Conversely, a high debt-to-asset ratio has a negative effect.

Policy Recommendations: The study emphasizes the need for policies that promote efficient resource use and technology adoption within dairy farming. Recommendations include Knowledge-sharing initiatives among farmers: Support for agricultural extension services and training programs; implementation of emission-reduction policies, such as promoting lower-methane-emitting dairy feed.

A Path Toward Sustainability: Enhanced eco-efficiency in Norwegian dairy farms translates to significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and resource use, paving the way for more sustainable agricultural practices. The research offers valuable insights for policymakers aiming to achieve environmental and economic sustainability within the dairy industry. Future research should broaden the scope to consider additional environmental factors, such as biodiversity and waste management, for a more holistic understanding of dairy farming’s impact on the environment

 

Article 1, “A parametric analysis of eco-efficiency and its determinants: Evidence from Norwegian dairy farms”, is available via this link:  https://doi.org/10.17221/149/2023-AGRICECON

Article 2, “Measuring dynamic and static eco-efficiency in Norwegian dairy farms: a parametric approach”, is available here: https://doi.org/10.3389/frevc.2023.1182236

Dairy production systems (DPS) across Europe face significant sustainability challenges. Among these, the need to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and nitrogen (N) losses is becoming increasingly crucial due to binding international agreements and legal requirements. However, given the diversity of DPS, the successful reduction of these negative impacts needs from tailored strategies and adapted evaluation frameworks that jointly consider the climatic conditions, farm characteristics and practices in an integrated manner. In this line, two articles led by Xabier Díaz de Otálora Aguirre (ATB, Germany) and with the participation of the DairyMix consortium, were published assessing the influence of farm diversity on emissions and tackling the adapted mitigation of DPS emissions from a context-specific perspective. In this two-fold approach, the SIMS_DAIRY deterministic whole-farm modelling approach was used to estimate the GHG emissions and N losses from a wide range of DPS across Europe. This model captures the effect of different farm management choices and site-specific conditions on nutrient cycling and emissions from other components of a dairy farm.

The influence of different management practices and structural characteristics on N and GHG emission sources was assessed using exploratory multivariate data analysis. In this way, quantitative and qualitative variables could be jointly assessed. This analysis showed how intensive farms in temperate climates have lower enteric emissions but higher manure management emissions. Furthermore, semi-extensive farms in cooler climates exhibit higher N losses and GHG emissions due to intensive mineral fertilisation and slurry application.

Once the structural features, management practices, and characteristics that contribute most to the GHG emissions and nutrient losses were determined, the individual and combined effect of the adapted application of six emission mitigation practices in across European DPS was analysed. These practices include (i) reducing crude protein content in the concentrate, (ii) increasing the amount of concentrate on the diet, (iii) implementing anaerobic digestion plants, (iv) shallow slurry injection, (v) rigid slurry covers and (vi) the substitution of urea as mineral fertiliser.

The application of adapted mitigation options showed how reducing the crude protein content of the purchased fraction of the diet was an adequate strategy to reduce the GHG and N emission intensity in all DPS. Furthermore, implementing an anaerobic digestion plant reduced GHG emissions in all tested case studies while increasing the intensity of nitrogen emissions, mainly when slurry was applied using broadcast. Regarding the productivity increase, contrasting effects were observed amongst the case studies modelled. Moreover, shallow slurry injection effectively mitigated the intensity of nitrogen losses from the fields due to solid reductions in ammonia volatilisation. When substituting urea with ammonium nitrate as mineral fertiliser, site-specific conditions affected the mitigation potential, discouraging its application on sandy-loam soils. Rigid slurry covers effectively reduced the storage-related nitrogen emissions intensity while showing a minor effect on total greenhouse gas emission intensity. In addition, our results provide novel evidence regarding the advantages of cumulative implementation of adapted mitigation options to offset the negative trade-offs of single-option applications (i.e. slurry covers or anaerobic digestion and slurry injection).

These recently published studies provide a deeper understanding of how emission mitigation strategies can be tailored to European DPS. The combination of whole-farm modelling approaches with multivariate statistical methods offers a valuable framework for designing and implementing specific practices that promote sustainability and nutrient circularity in DPS. These results not only help reduce the environmental impact of dairy production but also promote more sustainable and efficient agricultural practices, aligning with the European Union’s sustainability goals.

The paper titled “Influence of farm diversity on nitrogen and greenhouse gas emission sources from key European dairy cattle systems: A step towards emission mitigation and nutrient circularity”, can be accessed at the following link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2024.103902

Whereas the paper, titled “Modelling the effect of context‑specific greenhouse gas and nitrogen emission mitigation options in key European dairy farming systems”, is available at the following link: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-023-00940-6.

We’re pleased to announce that today marks the completion of our series of sustainability indicator weighting workshops. A sincere thank you to Emma Soule and her team at INRAE for their commendable work and effort!

As we approach the summer holidays, we’re arranging individual meetings with each partner country. These sessions will be centered around discussing the weights and gathering final feedback, ensuring a shared understanding and collective progression.

Additionally, we’re anticipating the annual general meeting that will be held in Rennes, France, this coming October. The French team is diligently preparing to host us, and we’re looking forward to the experience.

Next week, a digital PMC meeting is scheduled to provide everyone with an update on the project’s progress.

A large group of participants of the DairyMix project team had a productive participation at The XXII International Nitrogen (N) Workshop 2024 held at Aarhus University, Denmark. The team members shared their research through oral presentations and poster displays.

Lennart Kokemohr from Ruralis, Norway shared his research on “Coupling Cropping System and Bioeconomic Optimization Models to Assess Nitrogen Circularity in European Dairy Production Systems”.

Anna Rychła and Monika Suchowska-Kisielewicz from Uniwersytet Zielonogórski (UZ), Poland each presented a poster. Anna’s poster was titled “Circular Economy Approaches Help Identify Levers to Optimize Nitrogen Use in Polish Mixed Dairy Farms”, while Monika’s was “Assessing the Feasibility of Using Waste Biorefinery in Livestock Farming Systems”.

At the Expert Panel on Nitrogen Budgets (EPNB) at the TFRN meeting in Aarhus, Wilfried Winiwarter from UZ and IIASA, Austria, delivered an oral presentation on the “Circular Economy to Halve Nitrogen Waste”.

The abstracts from the N workshop can be found here

The 7th European Agroforestry Conference took place in late May in Brno, Czech Republic. Results from the DairyMix project were presented by Serena Bonizzi, Giorgio Ragaglini, and Federico Dragoni in the form of an oral presentation and a project poster. Their presentations highlighted how agroforestry presents an opportunity for dairy production systems to become more resilient and sustainable.

The abstracts for the oral presentation titled “Land-use diversification on intensive dairy farms: agroforestry as a complementary feeding source for dairy cattle” by Bonizzi et al., and the poster titled “DairyMix: circularity and sustainability of crop-livestock-forestry systems for dairy production in Europe and Latin America” by Dragoni et al., can be found in the EURAF 2024 book of abstracts, available here.

There is a lot of exciting communication activity going on in the Dairymix project at the moment, and several contributions have been made all over the world at a variety of conferences and meetings so far in 2024.

PhD Benjamin Macartan (Teagasc) gave the talk “Calcium Peroxide and 3-Nitrooxypropanol as Feed Additives: Residual Effects on Gaseous Emissions during Cattle Slurry Storage”, at the Environ 2024: Harvest to Harbour: Research from Soil to Sea in Waterford, Ireland. Mr. Macartan also attended the BSAS 2024: The Role of Livestock in our Ecosystem and Economy in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK, where he gave the presentation “Calcium Peroxide as Feed Additive: Effects on Gaseous Emissions during Cattle Slurry Storage”.

At the 5th Global Food Security Conference in Leuven, Belgium, Prof. Barbara Amon (ATB) presented “DairyMix”: circular, GHG and N optimised crop-livestock systems for dairy production in Europe and Latin America”.  And in New Dehli, India, Dr. Monika Suchowska-Kisielewicz (UZ) and Dr. Joanna Frątczak-Muller (UZ), attended the 9th International Nitrogen conference on balancing global change and sustainability at the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. They gave two talks named  “Biorefinery options for manure management to promote a circular economy” and  “Social conditions for the use and adoption of sustainable and circular practices in milk production”, respectively. Whereas in Norway, at Nibio Tjøtta,  Dr. Grete Jørgensen (NIBIO) presented the DairyMix project with objectives, during the grand opening of new research facilities at the research station.

In late October, Dr. Federico Dragoni visited the webinar series GEH Breakfast Club for PostDocs and PhDs, presenting the DairyMix project. The webinar series on ‘Circularity in mixed crop and livestock farming systems, with emphasis on greenhouse gas mitigation’, is hosted by Green ERA-HUB on Agri-food and Biotechology.

Dr. Dragonis talk “Multi-criteria assessment, decision support and management tools for sustainable circular mixed farming systems for dairy production” gave the project objectives, and insights in the diverse data collected from the case study farms participating in the project.

Serena Bonizzi participated at the “First National Agroforestry Forum”, sponsored by “AIAF-Italian Association of Agroforestry” with the theme of “cultivating and raising with trees.” The conference was held in Rome at the Headquarters of the National Research Council CREA Ricerca.

During the sessions she had the opportunity to present the work of the Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali (DiSAA) of Università degli Studi di Milano within Work Package 2 of the DairyMix Project.

Presentation title: “What role for agroforestry in intensive livestock farming in northern Italy? The Dairymix Project.”

In August Mary Brennan presented the DairyMix project at the XVII EEAE Congress in Rennes, France: “Agri-food systems in a changing world: Connecting Science and Society”.

 

Great to see all the interest in our work on developing circularity indicators for farms!

#circulareconomy #sustainability