Life Cycle Assessment – A Holistic Approach to Assessing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Beef and Dairy Production

There is growing pressure on agriculture to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG), including the release of methane (CH4) from ruminant livestock. It has been estimated that ruminant livestock account for 8-10% of global anthropogenic (i.e., human derived) GHGs, using the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methodology, or as much as 18% of global GHGs when additional emissions from land use change are also included in the analysis (O’Mara, 2011). Because of the significant contribution of livestock to GHG emissions, animal scientists have become increasingly interested in the potential for mitigation.