Article ID: | iaor20131601 |
Volume: | 116 |
Issue: | 1-2 |
Start Page Number: | 60 |
End Page Number: | 68 |
Publication Date: | Mar 2013 |
Journal: | Agricultural Systems |
Authors: | Ripoll-Bosch R, Bernus A, de Boer I J M, Vellinga T V |
Keywords: | Europe, sheep, carbon |
Intensifying animal production is generally advocated to mitigate greenhouse gases emissions associated with production of animal‐source food. Sheep farming systems (SFSs) in Spain are generally considered to be pasture‐based and extensive, but large differences in input utilization, land use and intensification level exist. Their environmental impacts, therefore, are expected to differ also. We used life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions of three contrasting meat‐sheep farming systems in Spain, which differed in their degree of intensification (reproduction rate, land use and grazing management). The GHGs emissions of these systems varied from 19.5 to 25.9kgCO