General: Worldwide, agricultural operations are becoming progressively more intensive to realize economies of production and scale. The pressure to become more efficient drives significant operational similarities between farms of a “type,” as inputs, outputs, practices, genetics, and technology have become similar around the world.

This is especially true in livestock operations (swine, dairy cows, etc.) which can create profound environmental consequences, such as greenhouse gas emissions, odour, and water/land contamination (including seepage, runoff, and over application), that result from storing (and disposing of) animal waste. Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) use similar Animal Waste Management System (AWMS) options to store animal effluent. These systems emit both methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) resulting from both aerobic and anaerobic decomposition processes. This project proposes to apply to multiple swine CAFOs (located in Minas Gerais and Goias, Brazil) a GHG mitigation methodology which is applicable to intensive livestock operations. The proposed project activities will mitigate AWMS GHG emissions in an economically sustainable manner, and will result in other environmental benefits, such as improved water quality and reduced odour. In simple terms, the project proposes to move the designated farms from a high-GHG AWMS practice, an open air lagoon, to a lower-GHG AWMS practice, an ambient temperature anaerobic digester with capture and combustion of resulting biogas.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to mitigate animal effluent related GHG by improving AWMS practices.

Contribution to sustainable development:

According to Brazil’s Inter-Ministerial Commission on Global Climatic Change,1 manure management is an important issue that needs to be solved. Failure to do so will allow existing problems (e.g., increased (insect) pest populations, problems with allergies and livestock disease, including foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) which exists in Brazil), to continue unabated. To this end, Brazil has in recent years required all CAFOs to transition from single to multi-lagoon systems, and even more recently has required them to line the bottom of their primary sedimentation lagoon to prevent effluent seepage.2

Establishing a positive model for other livestock operations is essential. In the last ten years, Brazilian swine production grew by 28%, reaching breeding levels of approximately 36 million animals.3 In 2003, the swine population in Goias, and Minas Gerais was approximately 4,871,000.4 Considering that a typical hog produces 5.8 kilograms of effluent daily (Table A1), annually some 14 million metric tons of hog waste is produced in these states alone. Introducing progressive AWMS practices throughout the region could result in an annual reduction of over 4.5 million tonnes5 of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) annually.

Table A1. Daily production of effluent by type of porcine6

       Manure             Manure and           Volume                Volume

Stage

m3/animal/month

       kg/day             Urine kg/day        litres/day

1. 3 4.9 7.0 .25

25-100 kg

2. 6 11.0 16.0 .48

Gestating sows

1. 4 18.0 27.0 .81

Nursing sows

2. 0 6.0 9.0 .28

Boar pig

1. 35 0.95 1.4 .05

Piglet

2. 35 5.8 8.6 .27

Average

Furthermore, the proper handling of this large quantity of CAFO animal waste is critical to protecting human health and the environment. Because of the practices employed by farmers, the design, location, and management of livestock operations are critical components in ensuring an adequate level of protection of human health and the environment.7 Energy problems are also a major issue in rural regions of Brazil. Dilma Rousseff, Brazil’s Minister of Energy states, “We are facing a great crisis in the country’s electricity system.” In July, 2003, Roussef warned that the country could face another power crisis by 2007.8 Anaerobic digesters produce biogas containing a high percentage of methane, which can be used for localized energy (either heat or electricity) production. This previously untapped energy potential can serve to augment or offset local supply.

The proposed GHG mitigation project satisfies the Brazilian government priorities for environmental stewardship and sustainability while positioning the project activity participants to develop and use renewable (“green”) energy. Indeed, it does so with no negative consequences and affords a series of environmental and infrastructure co-benefits (some of which are outlined in Section F). Because the proposed project establishes an advanced AWMS and includes means for subsequently establishing on-farm electricity generation, the project participants believe the farm managers will adopt – and continue to practice these AWMS practice changes that result in meaningful, and permanent, GHG emission reductions.

This project activity will have positive effects on the local environment by improving air quality (by reducing the emission of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and odour, for instance) and will set the stage for future possible on-farm projects (such as changes in land application practices) that would have an additional positive impact on GHG emissions with an attendant potential for reducing groundwater contamination problems.

This project activity will also increase local employment of skilled labour for the fabrication, installation, operation and maintenance of the specialized equipment. Finally, this voluntary project activity will establish a model for animal waste management practices, which can be duplicated on other CAFO livestock farms, dramatically reducing livestock related GHG and providing the potential for a new source of revenue and green power.