Science Based Metrics for Sustainable Outcomes In Agriculture

Marty Matlock, PhD, PE, BCEEExecutive Director, Office for SustainabilityProfessor , Biological and Agricultural Engineering DepartmentUniversity of Arkansas

Science Based Metrics for Sustainable Outcomes In Agriculture

2014 NIAA Annual Conference & NIAA/USAHA Joint Forum on Trichomoniasis Standards

Everything is Connected*

Everything is changing*

A.D.2000A.D.1000A.D.11000B.C.2000B.C.3000B.C.4000B.C.5000B.C.6000B.C.7000B.C.1+ million years87652143OldStoneAge9101112A.D.3000A.D.4000A.D.500019001950197520002100FutureBillionsSource: Population Reference Bureau; and United Nations, World Population Projections to 2100 (1998).World Population Growth In ContextTime of our Parents and Grandparents2010Era of MonarchsEra of Democracy?Time of our Children and Grandchildren*

Sustainability 2050: The Challenge*

Sustainability 2050: The ChallengeWhat we do in the next 10 years will shape Earth and Humanity for the next 100 yearsWhen technology and culture collidetechnology prevails, culture changes*

BillionsLess Developed RegionsMore Developed RegionsSource: United Nations, World Population Prospects: The 2004 Revision (medium scenario), 2005.We are all in this together*

Elements of Sustainable Agriculture*PEOPLEPROFITPLANETSUSTAINABLEBEARABLEEQUITABLEVIABLE

Human Activities Dominate EarthCroplands and pastures are the largest terrestrial biome, occupying over 40% of Earths land surface*

Persistent vs Important IssuesFrom Jason Clay, WWF

Persistent IssuesImportant IssuesLocally grownWater use efficiencyGMO cropsSoil erosionOrganic cropsSoil organic carbonNaturalLand use change biodiversity loss

Meeting Food Needs by 2050Jason Clay*

Key Sustainability Challenges for AgricultureIn order to meet projected demands for food, feed, fiber and fuel from the land we must increase production (output per year) by 50 to 100 percent in the next four decades.If global production is not increased, US and European production must compensate by increasing even more.If we want to preserve biodiversity and other land-based ecosystem services we must freeze the footprint of agriculture.Thus yield (output per area) must more than double in the next 40 years in the US and Europe. Energy scarcity will drive innovation while limiting expansion of productivity.Water scarcity will limit productivity globally.

The Food Supply ChainSafetySecurityStability*

Sustainability Initiatives*

The Issue is TRUSTConsumer attitudesSocial License freedom to operateCriteria for legitimacyMarket competitivenessReputational Risks!

(Re)Building Trust in the Food System

Sustainability is Continuous Improvement*

How We Define Sustainable Agriculture

Criteria for Key Performance Indicators of Sustainable AgricultureKey Performance Indicators (KPIs) are things we measure to inform decisions.KPIs should be:Outcomes Based.Science Driven.Technology Neutral.Transparent.

Environmental Key Performance Indicators for Agriculture*Greenhouse Gas EmissionsEnergy UseWater UseLand UseWater QualityNutrient Use EfficiencyHabitat/Biodiversity

*KPIs: Sentinels for Threats

Human Water Security Threat Index*Global threats to human water security and river biodiversity. C.J. Vorosmarty, P.B. McIntyre, M.O. Gessner, D. Dudgeon, A. Prusevich, P. Green, S. Glidden, S.E. Bunn, C.A. Sullivan, C. Reidy Liermann, and P.M. Davies. Nature 467, 555-561 (30 September 2010) doi:10.1038/nature09440http://riverthreat.net/

Persistent vs Important IssuesFrom Jason Clay, WWF

Persistent IssuesImportant IssuesLocally grownWater use efficiencyGMO cropsSoil erosionOrganic cropsSoil organic carbonNaturalLand use change biodiversity loss

*Livestock GHG emissions are estimated at 7.1 gigatonnes CO2e per year.

This is 14.5 percent of human-induced GHG emissions.

Chart1

41

20

9

8

22

GHG (%)

Sheet1

GHG (%)

Beef41

Dairy20

Pork9

Poultry8

Other22

To resize chart data range, drag lower right corner of range.

*Potential GHG emissions reductions from nutrition, manure, and husbandry practices.

Increasing forage digestibility and digestible forage intake will generally reduce GHG emissionsfrom rumen fermentation and stored manure.

Dietary lipids are effective in reducing enteric CH4 emissions.

Supplementation with small amounts of concentrate feed to increase animal productivity

Global emissions by sector*

Field to Market The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture

Field to Market Membership*

Measuring US Soybean Sustainability Metrics *

US Ag Sustainability Initiatives

ISO Standard for LCA *INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 14044First edition 2006-07-01

Environmental management Life cycle assessment: Requirements and guidelines Reference number:ISO 14044:2006(E)

ISO 14044 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 207, Environmental management, Subcommittee SC 5, Life cycle assessment.This first edition of ISO 14044, together with ISO 14040:2006, cancels and replaces ISO 14040:1997, ISO 14041:1998, ISO 14042:2000 and ISO 14043:2000, which have been technically revised.

Phases of a Life Cycle Assessment

ISO Standard for LCA *The International Organization for Standards (ISO) is a network of the national standards institutes of 162 countries, one member per country, with a Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, that coordinates the system.

ISO is a non-governmental organization that forms a bridge between the public and private sectors. On the one hand, many of its member institutes are part of the governmental structure of their countries, or are mandated by their government. On the other hand, other members have their roots uniquely in the private sector, having been set up by national partnerships of industry associations.

http://www.iso.org/

Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to Understand and Manage Supply Chain Processes*

LCA allows for impact assessment from cradle to graveRaw Material ARaw Material BProduct 1*

LCA allows for impact assessment from cradle to graveRaw Material ARaw Material BProduct 1Boundaries matter*

Life Cycle Assessment Allocation*By Mass?=+++By Value?Kg CO2e per kg

Benchmark KPIs for GHGNational Life Cycle Carbon Footprint Study for the Production of US SwineCarbon Footprint 2.48 lb CO2e per servingEmission ContributionsSow Barn: 9.6%, including feed and manure handlingNursery to Finish: 52.5%, including feed and manure handlingProcessing and Packaging: 6.9%Retail: 7.54%Consumer: 23.5%

Benchmark KPIs for GHG

Life Cycle Analysis of Alternative Pork Management PracticeAnesthesia during castration or tail dockingImmuno-Castration MethodsRemoval of Ractopamine as a feed additiveRemoval of Antimicrobials to prevent disease and promote growthPen Gestation HousingBenchmark KPIs for GHG

Benchmark KPIs for GHG

Benchmark KPIs for Water

A Life Cycle Analysis of Water Use in U.S. Pork Production19-144 gal water per pound boneless pork75% from feed irrigation20% for drinking water


Sustainability Framework*

*****************USDA Briefing Section 10b**Field to Market defines agricultural sustainability as meeting the needs of the present while improving the ability to meet future generations by increasing agricultural productivity while decreasing environmental impact; improving human health through access to safe, nutritious food, and improving social and economic well-being of rural communities.

Meeting the needs of the present while improving the ability of future generations to meet their own needsIncreasing productivity to meet future food and fiber demandsDecreasing impacts on the environmentImproving human healthImproving the social and economic well-being of agricultural communities

***Human Water Security (HWS) Threat: indicates areas that contain catchment disturbances, pollution, water resource development such as high dam density, river fragmentation, high consumptive water loss, human and agricultural water stress; as well as biotic factors such as non-native fishes, high fishing and aquaculture pressures. Each of these drivers is weighted and contributes to an overall score that represents the respective threat to human water security (Vorosmarty, et al. 2010).

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Science Based Metrics for Sustainable Outcomes In Agriculture