LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CATTLE MILK IN AN INTENSIVE SILVOPASTORAL SYSTEM AND A CONVENTIONAL SYSTEM IN COLOMBIA

Abstract

Currently, cattle systems have the challenge of improving their efficiency in order to satisfy the growing demand of livestock products while at the same time reducing their emissions. In order to estimate the main environmental impacts of bovine milk production and identify mitigation alternatives, a life cycle analysis (LCA) was conducted to compare an intensive silvopastoral systems (ISS) and a conventional system (CS) in Colombia. The structure of ISO 14044 was followed, with four functional units (FU); the estimated environmental impacts were: land use (LU), use of non-renewable energy (UNRE) and emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). For all FU, the ISS had lower emissions of GHGs than the conventional system. To produce one kg of fat- and protein-corrected milk (FPCM) the ISS emitted 1 less GHG than the CS (2.05 vs. 2.34 kg CO2-eq). Regarding the use of non-renewable energy, the ISS required only 63% of the energy used in the CS to produce one kg FPCM (3.64 vs. 5.81 kg Mj-1) whilst for land use, the CS was more efficient in all UF compared to the ISS. We conclude that in ISS there are lower environmental impacts per unit of product, emitting less GHG and having lower UNRE.