The first study on the relationship between cow-calf farm efficiency and environmental consequences indicated by net greenhouse gas emissions shows efficient livestock production yields a smaller carbon footprint.
According to Drovers CattleNetwork, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research paper—“Factors Affecting Cow-Calf Herd Performance and Greenhouse Gas Emissions”—published recently in the Journal of Agriculture and Resource Economics suggests that for the cow-calf industry pursuing farm efficiency aligns with environmental protection goals.
“We found that carbon emissions per unit of output decrease as farm efficiency increases,” said Dr. Tong Wang, postdoctoral research associate. “High carbon sequestration occurs on farms that are more technically efficient as a result of more acres allocated to each breeding cow.”
A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant funded the research.