Carbon neutrality and beef production in the marginal areas: A case study of Podolian cattle system

CONTEXT The Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated that human activities caused global warming, mainly through emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs); livestock supply chains contribute 14.5 % of global anthropogenic GHG emissions, with cattle (beef, milk) accounting for about two-thirds of that total, mainly due to methane emissions resulting from enteric fermentation. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to assess the environmental sustainability of the Podolian beef production system in marginal areas of Southern Italy (specifically the Basilicata region) through the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach and identify suitable mitigation strategies. METHODS The environmental impact of Podolian beef production was assessed using the following indicators: Global warming potential (GWP100, kg CO2 eq), Freshwater eutrophication (FEP, g P eq), Terrestrial acidification (TAP, g SO2 eq), Marine eutrophication (MEP, g N eq), Land use (LOP, m2 year crop eq), Fossil resource scarcity (FFP, g oil eq), Mineral resource scarcity (SOP, g Cu eq), and Fine particulate matter formation (PMFP, g PM 2.5 eq). The boundaries of the beef production systems encompassed a cradle-to-farm gate analysis. Three functional units (FU) were used: kg of live weight (LW) at slaughter, kg of carcass weight (CW) and hectare of land. Additionally, carbon sequestration from permanent pasture and woodland was calculated. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Our case study evaluated the main impact categories of livestock farming for beef production. The results of GWP100 were higher than the European average for the three functional units considered. As the overall outcome is the total deducted the 39 % due to grassland management. Achieving carbon neutrality would require 16.7 ± 4.9 m2 of woodland per kg of LW or 30.8 ± 9.0 m2 of woodland per kg of CW. SIGNIFICANCE Our study indicates that the environmental impact per kilogram of beef produced in marginal contexts is generally higher than in intensive livestock farming systems. However, delving deeper into the specific context and accounting for carbon sequestration from pastures used in this cattle farming allows to achieve environmental performance comparable to the most efficient intensive systems. Specifically, we identified the wooded area resource within the Podolian cattle farming system as an existing mitigation strategy which requires effective management and preservation. This study provides more explicit guidance to policymakers and consumers on the environmental implications of different meat production practices, supporting more informed planning of regional, national, and European resources.