The Carbon Footprint of a 5000-Milking-Head Dairy Operation in Central Texas

Sadie Woolery, Edward Osei, Mark Yu (), Selin Guney (), Ashley Lovell and Hussain Jafri
Additional contact information
Sadie Woolery: Division of Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Sciences, Tarleton State University, P.O. Box T-0040, Stephenville, TX 76402, USA
Mark Yu: Division of Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Sciences, Tarleton State University, P.O. Box T-0040, Stephenville, TX 76402, USA
Selin Guney: Division of Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Sciences, Tarleton State University, P.O. Box T-0040, Stephenville, TX 76402, USA
Ashley Lovell: Division of Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Sciences, Tarleton State University, P.O. Box T-0040, Stephenville, TX 76402, USA
Hussain Jafri: Department of Accounting, Finance, and Economics, Tarleton State University, P.O. Box T-0920, Stephenville, TX 76402, USA

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-16

Abstract: Texas is the third-largest milk-producing state in the U.S., with Central Texas being the second-largest milk-producing region in Texas. The average size of a dairy herd in Texas is 1829 cows. In Central Texas alone, there are 88,000 dairy cows. However, there is a lack of environmental impact research for this region. The overall objective of this case study is to evaluate the net carbon and carbon equivalent balances for a large dairy operation in Central Texas. The dairy selected for this study has a herd size of 5000 milking cows. The data assumptions were made regarding the selected dairy’s performance and production for the 2021 production year. These data include herd size and management, milk production, crop production, feed purchases, and on-farm energy usage. The USDA-Integrated Farm System Model (IFSM) was used to estimate the daily and annual greenhouse gas emissions and environmental footprint of the dairy by quantifying the operation’s carbon footprint based on its 2021 performance and management practices. Research outcomes identify and quantify sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced on the dairy farm. Additionally, the carbon footprint (CF) was determined by estimating the CO 2 equivalents (CO 2 -eq) emitted or sunk from animal and manure emissions, direct and indirect land emissions, net biogenic and anthropogenic CO 2 emissions, and the production of resource inputs. The results of this case study indicated that the carbon footprint (CF) of the 5000-milking-head dairy in Central Texas was 0.40 lb. of CO 2 per lb. of fat- and protein-corrected milk (FPCM) when considering biogenic CO 2 and 0.83 lb. of CO 2 per lb. of FPCM without biogenic CO 2 .

Keywords: Texas dairy production; environmental impact; economic analysis; carbon footprint; greenhouse gas emissions; partial life-cycle assessment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
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