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Beef sector on track to achieve 2030 carbon neutrality
Vivien Lin
A new report card into the sustainability of Australia’s beef industry shows that the sector has halved its carbon footprint and made significant progress towards more sustainable production.
The Red Meat Advisory Council ’s (RMAC) 2019 Australian Beef Sustainability Annual Update reports on the priorities of the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework , an initiative developed by industry stakeholders that aims to address changing community expectations and support the beef sector.
The update reveals that the industry has reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by 56 per cent since the baseline year of 2005, mainly through improving productivity and vegetation management practices. For example, growth rates in young cattle were estimated to have increased by 19 per cent in response to higher proportions of cattle fed in feedlots.
“This is a clear message to global consumers that the Australian beef industry is serious about addressing greenhouse gas emissions,” says Will Wilson, AgForce Queensland Cattle president.
This significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions means that the beef sector is on track to achieve its target of carbon neutrality by 2030 (CN30).
“With industry, policy and research focus Australia can be the first country in the world to have a carbon neutral red meat production system,” says Don Mackay, RMAC Independent Chair.
The beef industry will continue its efforts to become carbon neutral by increasing resource use efficiency for profitable livestock production and reducing the environmental impact of its activities. This will include adopting practices to improve animal genetics, feedbase management and herd management.
RMAC has also partnered with Greening Australia , the Australian Forest Products Association and Farmers for Climate Action to form Climate Proofing Australia. This new alliance advocates for science-based policy that aligns with the CN30 pathways and promotes investment in sustainable development.
Despite this, farmers continue to stress the importance of the Federal government taking action to curb the Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions. Although the most recent National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Update for December 2018 reveals that emissions from the agriculture sector have decreased by 3.3 per cent, national emissions have risen to a record high, up 0.6 per cent from 2017.
“Like most Australian farmers, I’m already feeling the impact of climate change on my farm in the form of more frequent extreme weather events. We’re adapting, but our ability to adapt has limits. We have no more time to waste,” says Lucinda Corrigan, Bowna beef producer and Chair of Farmers for Climate Action. “The losses from climate change are higher than the cost of action.”
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Trace minerals are required for optimal growth, reproduction, and immunity. Optimising trace mineral status relying solely on oral supplements across a herd may fail because of variation in individual intake and reduced absorption due to antagonism of other ration components and minerals. The use of injectable trace mineral supplements has been associated with positive reproductive outcomes including improved conception rate, increased odds of pregnancy and greater final in calf rate. A study conducted on 2,168 dairy cows, administered injectable trace minerals, four weeks prior to calving and again four weeks prior to the start of mating showed treated animals had a 3.3 per cent greater final in-calf rate, and a reduced time from start of mating to conception, compared to control animals 1 . The Importance of B12 Dr Carl Eden, Technical Services Veterinarian with Boehringer Ingelheim says “Vitamin B12 is sometimes referred to as a ‘super vitamin’ because it is only required in very small amounts but vital to many essential metabolic pathways. However, demand for B12 can vary considerably during the year and we see serum levels of B12 fall at critical times, such as the first few months after calving.” Vitamin B12 contains cobalt, so deficiency in cobalt can lead to deficiency in vitamin B12 because ruminants get most of their B12 as a byproduct of ruminal fermentation where the bacteria in their rumen assemble B12 from cobalt for use by the cow. Sub-optimal trace mineral and vitamin B12 status at calving, mating, and drying off has been shown to negatively impact growth, reproduction, and immunity. Using a trace mineral injectable containing vitamin B12 can improve trace mineral and vitamin B12 status at these critical times. Marks-Min with Vitamin B12 – The Evidence In the largest trace element study to date, Marks-Min Injectable Trace Mineral with Vitamin B12 demonstrated remarkable results when compared to a reference trace mineral injection. “Given the differences between Marks-Min and other products on the market, we wanted to generate a compelling data set to demonstrate how effective it was compared to the pioneer product. We entrusted this work to a third-party research company” says Dr Eden. “We chose farms that were at the top of their game from a reproductive perspective. We made sure that the farms had no evidence of trace element or vitamin B12 deficiencies or excess.” Across all outcomes of interest, Marks-Min demonstrated clear non-inferiority when compared to the reference product. Outcomes measured included submission, pregnancy and conception rates, and six week in-calf rate. Marks-Min demonstrated it is highly suited as an alternative treatment to the reference product. Reference: 1. Hawkins, D., and B. V. S. Franklin. New Zealand Dairy Veterinarians Newsletter 24 (2007): 12-16 Company website: livestockfirst.com.au Company email address: CustomerCare.Australia@boehringer-ingelheim.com Company video: https://vimeo.com/1138807630?fl=pl&fe=cm
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