NZ lamb produces hefty 'footprint'

Photo / Doug Laing

A 100gm serving of New Zealand lamb consumed in Britain carries a carbon "cost" equivalent to nearly 2kg of carbon dioxide, new research shows.

The "carbon footprint" for New Zealand lamb eaten in Britain has been estimated as equivalent to 1.9kg of carbon dioxide, for each 100gm serving of lamb - 80 per cent of that generated by farmers and their livestock on-farm.

Just 3 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions came from processing, and 5 per cent from transport, with the remaining 12 per cent down to retailers and consumers.

The New Zealand study by AgResearch and released today by meat companies, is the first published carbon footprint to cover the entire life cycle from farm, through to cooking and eating the meat, and the disposal of waste and sewage.

Meat Industry Association chairman Bill Falconer said today it would be hard to assess how carbon emissions for New Zealand lamb compared with overseas products, until there was a globally-agreed methodology for "footprinting".

"It is hard to assess how New Zealand's footprint compares," he said.

"We're not aware of overseas studies with a comparable scope or level of detail in the methodology."

But the industry was confident that low-input and efficient farming, in a temperate climate and using a high proportion of renewable energy meant New Zealand lamb compared favourably in its emissions performance on-farm.

"It is likely that the small proportion of the footprint contributed by transport and processing costs...will also compare well."

Mr Falconer said the overall breakdown of the carbon footprint for NZ lamb, and the high proportion of emissions on-farm were "in line with expectations". Ruminant livestock such as sheep "burp" large amounts of methane, and release nitrous oxide through their wastes.

The lamb industry now had a science-based benchmark to measure further progress.

"We want to use this study as a platform from which to move forward and improve the footprint from the farm, through processing and in transport.

"The biggest opportunity to reduce the lamb footprint is on-farm, and there is already considerable investment into research in that area."

In comparison with pre-Kyoto Protocol farming, the sheep industry was already producing more meat from less pasture, with lower emissions. Though NZ farms produced slightly more lamb than in 2003, the national sheep flock was 43 per cent smaller, and this had reduced the carbon footprint of lamb by more than 20 per cent.

Research was underway into livestock emissions, better energy use in meat processing through improved waste-water treatment, and use of biofuels.

Meat exporters were also working with individual shipping lines to identify ways to carbon footprint of oceanic freight.

There was also scope for consumers to be taught more energy-efficient ways to buy, cook and store meat.

- NZPA