AN ESTIMATE OF THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF DAIRY FARMS IN THE ANDEAN REGION OF ECUADOR

Huella de carbono de ganaderías de leche del Ecuador

Abstract

The dairy sector is responsible for approximately 3.3% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but it has potential to play an important role in climate change mitigation through management changes. Therefore, this research aimed to estimate GHG emissions from dairy farms in two provinces of the north-central Highlands of Ecuador, by type and source. The research was carried out on 24 dairy farms, grouped by means of a cluster analysis into three types (large, small, and medium), according to their production characteristics. The Cool Farm Tool program was used to quantify and analyze emissions, and the required information was collected through field visits and interviews with producers. The results were analyzed according to a completely randomized design, using Fisher's parametric test (p<0.05). The results indicate that enteric fermentation is the greatest source of GHG emissions (5.27 Ton CO₂-eq ha^-1 yr^-1, 43.39%). Medium-sized dairy farms generate the greatest amount of emissions per liter of milk produced (2.3 CO₂-eq L^-1 milk FPCM), being 50% and 84 % higher compared to small farms and large farms, respectively. It is concluded that large dairy farms are the most efficient, while small dairy farms are the most resilient since they produce fewer GHG emissions.