Working Lunch

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Working Lunch!

• NACAA July 17, 2007
• Grand Rapids, MI
• Dave Beede
• Dept. Animal Science
• Michigan State University

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Environmental Opportunities for Animal
AgricultureExtensions Critical Role

• Dave Beede

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Two Questions ?

• What are current and future environmental
  opportunities for animal agriculture?

• What should be and/or are Extensions roles?
• http//www.mdr.msu.edu

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Overview

• Working Lunch
• Two Questions (handout)
• Systems Thinking in farms?
• Criteria for Evaluation of Agriculture Systems
• Potential Climate Revenue Centers, Market
  Opportunities
• Applied Research?
• Extensions Current and Future Role

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Animal Farm

• ?

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Animal Farm

• ?

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Animal Farm..
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Dairy Farm (System)
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Dairy Production System
http//www.mdr.msu.edu
MSU Extension Dairy Team, 2006
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Production Systems
Industry vs. Agriculture

• Industry
• Straight line production process
• Raw materials ? product ? replacement over time
• Highly efficient operations
• Little waste material resulting from process
• Agriculture
• Circular flow of nutrients (cycle)
• Products and wastes leave cycle
• May re-enter cycle
• Human/societal waste, food residues, etc.
• Raindrops collect gases and particulates from air
• Sustainable (systemic), but not perpetual

Hoshiba, S. 2002. In Greenhouse Gases and Animal
Agriculture
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Production Systems
Industry vs. Agriculture

• Industrial Agriculture
• Straight line production
• Import of some raw materials (feed, fertilizer,
  bedding)
• Raw materials ? product ? exported
• Quite inefficient (25 to 35 for animal products)
• Large amounts of waste e.g., dairy.
• ?(240 lb intake 90 lb milk) 150 lb out as
  manure
• Accumulation of nutrients (risk)?
• Not sustainable
• - Paradigm of industry is not directly
  transferable to agriculture

Hoshiba, S. 2002. In Greenhouse Gases and Animal
Agriculture
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Dairy Production System
methane, ammonia
methane, ammonia
http//www.mdr.msu.edu
MSU Extension Dairy Team, 2006
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NRC (2003) CommitteeScientific Evaluation
Commissioned by USDA and US EPA
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Percent of Total US Air EmissionsNRC (2003)
Van Aardenne et al (2001)
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The (single) farm as a system
Environment
Manure
FARM
Farm boundary
Animals
Environment
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In- and outflow of nutrients
The farm as a system
Emissions, runoff
Environment
Emissions, dust
Manure
Feeds
Imports
Crops
Animals
Meat Milk
Inorganic P
Exports
Environment
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The farm (F-x) as a sub-system
Environment
U.S. farms
Outflows
F-7
F-1
F-9.
Inflows
F-6
F-3
F-2
F-5
F-8
Environment
F-4
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Systems are
The farm as a sub-system

• Artificial imposed by humans
• Hierarchical structure
• Systems of lower levels are sub-systems of higher
  levels
• Higher systems create new entities
• e.g., trade organizations, cooperatives, markets
• Systems are embedded in an environment
• Material and energy flows amongst each other
• Interact with each other

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If the System is all livestock and crop farms,
where does the Phosphorus in corn distillers
grains come from?!
F-7
F-1
F-9
F-6
F-3
F-2
F-5
F-8
F-4
Specific example of systems-approach
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Answer
Origin of P accumulating in U.S.-Agricultural
System
Specific example of systems-approach
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Net phosphorus flow
U.S.-agricultural system

• Not added to the system by corn distillers
  grains
• Just not re-distributed evenly
• Inflow of P to the system
• Mined inorganic P (feed, fertilizer)
• May not (does not!) counterbalance P outflow

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P in Distillers Grains

• Dairy industry takes on an industrial waste
  product (DGs) and transforms (part of) it into a
  valuable product (milk).
• Who is the polluter?
• Who is the (re)mediator?
• Question Environmental cost?!
• Who is and should be responsible?

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Criteria of evaluation?
Agricultural production systems
Kawakami et al., 2000.
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Criteria of evaluation?
Agricultural production systems

• Profitability, economic efficiency
• Bottom line for farms (sub-systems)
• Input of fossil fuel (energy)
• Net addition of CO2
• Environmental load
• (P, C, N chem. species?)
• Animal welfare
• Human welfare
• (social benefit)

How to assess these? They may not affect bottom
line directly.
Kawakami et al., 2000.
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Cost of environmental load
Agricultural production systems

• Time lag
• Partially exported into environment (the
  community)
• Who is responsible for cost of environmental
  clean up? e.g., from EtOH production?
• Up-front cost (prevention) cheaper?
• How is farmer paid for compliance?
• Cheap food policy vs. environmental protection??
• Climate/ environmental market potential for
  farmers?

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Dynamic over time
The farm as a subsystem
Environment
Environment
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Exploring the EnvironmentN-S-P-E-C-T
Adapted from R. Bawden, MSU

• Natural
• Biodiversity
• Resources
• Climate

• Social
• Social Organizations
• Laws, Order Regulations
• Health, Safety Security
• Pop. Dynmcs Employ

• Technological
• Energy
• Military
• Information and Media
• Mech., Transport Manufact.

System

• Political
• Prevailing Ideologies
• Forms of Government
• Political Leadership
• Constitution

• Cultural
• Lifestyle, Leisure Entertmt
• Religion Spirituality
• Literature and Art
• Fashion
• Ethics

• Economic
• Taxation
• Global Trade
• Income Distribution
• Inflation Interest Rates

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System evolves over time

• System embedded in environment
• Forces from environment
• System affects environment
• N-S-P-E-C-T perspectives
• Actions within the system
• Strategy Actively affect environment (vs.
  passively being affected)

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Predicting the Future

• Anticipate changes and developments in the system
  and its environment
• Goal Prepare farm (sub-system) for future
  success
• CHALLENGE Try to avoid getting the future wrong
  vs. the impossible task of getting it absolutely
  right.

R. Bawden Scenario Planning as an Experiential
Exercise in Social, Reflexive and
Transformational Learning
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Prediction is very difficult, especially about
the future Niels Bohr
Predicting the future??

• Heavier-than-air machines are impossible.
  Lord Kelvin, 1895, British mathematician,
  physicist, and President of the Royal Society
• I think that there is a world market for about 5
  computers. Thomas Watson, 1943, Chairman of
  IBM
• We dont like their sound. Groups with guitars
  are on their way out. Decca Recording
  executive, 1962, on turning down the Beatles for
  a recording contract

Cerf and Navasky, 1984. The Experts Speak.
Pantheon Books.
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Factors of future scenarios
Predicting the future using N-S-P-E-C-T
High
Critical cohort of influences
Impact
Low
Uncertainty
Low
High
R. Bawden Scenario Planning as an Experiential
Exercise in Social, Reflexive and
Transformational Learning
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Examples for dairy farming
Predicting the future using N-S-P-E-C-T
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Role of THE Extension Educator?

• Recognizes changes ? progressive
• Imagine into existence future scenarios
• Anticipates (N-S-P-E-C-T) social benefits,
  potential climate/environmental profit centers,
  exchanges, etc., etc.?
• Initiates proactive change
• Anticipates regulations
• Initiates pro-active change
• Mediator between farmers scientific
• community

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Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX)
Richard Sandor 2003
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New source of revenue?
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CCXmonitoring, reporting, verification
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ENVIRONMENTAL CREDIT CORP.SUPPLYING
ENVIRONMENTAL CREDITSTO GLOBAL FINANCIAL MARKETS
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Cows Produce Credits for Coala

• American Electric Power Co., (AEP) Columbus, OH
• Coal Burning
• produces 145 million tons CO2 / year

• Dairy and Swine Farms
• Dairy cow
• Produces 365 m3 CH4/year (potency CH4 21x CO2
  )
• 5 tons of CO2 equivalent
• or 5 CO2 credits/year
• Via Anaerobic Digestion
• farms capture and destroy 5 CO2 credits/year
  per cow burn methane for power
• - - - - - -
• a Wall Street Journal, June 14, 2007

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Cows Produce Credits for Coala

• American Electric Power Co., (AEP) Columbus, OH
• Coal Burning
• produces 145 million tons CO2 / year
• AEP to buy 600,000 CO2 credits/year from
• 200 dairy and hog farms
• 0.4 of AEPs annual global-warming emissions
• Real reductions (1 to 5/year) mandated

• Dairy and Swine Farms
• Dairy cow
• Produces 365 m3 CH4/year (potency CH4 21x CO2
  )
• 5 tons of CO2 equivalent
• or 5 CO2 credits/year
• Via Anaerobic Digestion
• farms capture and destroy 5 CO2 credits/year
  per cow burn methane for power
• - - - - - -
• a Wall Street Journal, June 14, 2007

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Michigan Conservation Climate Initiative

• MCCI provides access to US market for C offset
  credits for producers landowners (CCX)
• Joint Project MI Assoc. Conservation Districts,
  MDA, Delta Insitute
• Conservation tillage, permanent grass plantings,
  tree planting, anaerobic manure digesters
• Supported by MI Corn Marketing Growers Assoc.,
  MDEQ, MFB, MNLA, PF, USDA Farmer Service Agency,
  USDA NRCS
• --------------------------------------------------
  --------------------------------------------------
  ----------------

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Percent of Total US Air Emissions aNRC (2003)
Van Aardenne et al (2001)
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Emissions measurements
Experimental Approach

• Newly established MSU Animal Air Quality Research
  Facilities
• Strategies to reduce CH4 and NH3 pre- and
  post-excretion ? Climate Credits

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Discussion!----------------------------------
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Two Questions ?

• What are current and future environmental
  opportunities for animal agriculture?

• What should be and/or are Extensions roles?
• http//www.mdr.msu.edu
• beede_at_msu.edu

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Thanks!