Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Completed Competitive Grant

Evaluation of greenhouse gas emissions from three dairy production systems in Iowa--conventional, grazing and combination conventional/grazing

Project ID: M2009-12

Abstract

This project estimates and analyzes the global warming potential emissions from three dairy production systems in Iowa: grazing, combination grazing/conventional and conventional. A cradle-to-farm gate Life Cycle Assessment is performed for these three systems with milk production as the reference flow.

Key Question: Which alternative dairy produced the lowest greenhouse gas emissions?

Findings: Knowing this will help dairy farmers choose the most profitable system that is suited to their goals and resources, and they also can consider greenhouse gas emissions in their decision. Farmers are concerned with greenhouse gas emissions and their contribution to global warming. They know that if they are not proactive in their approach to production, there will be regulations that might not be favorable.

Lead investigator: Mike Duffy, ISU Extension Economics

Co-Investigator(s):

Andrew Herringshaw, Graduate Program in Sustainable Agriculture, ISU

Year of grant completion: 2011

This competitive grant project was part of the Leopold Center's Marketing Initiative.

Topics: Animal management and forage, Climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, Life Cycle Assessment