Improving producer decision by quantifying carbon footprints of 3 WA pasture systems

Summary

​In Western Australia for economic or productivity reasons, livestock producers are replacing their annual pasture with a range of perennial pasture species. However, it is not still confirmed as to whether perennial or annual pasture will produce beef with a reduced carbon footprint. The opportunity is to conduct a comprehensive life cycle assessment that will determine carbon saving benefits of beef production under a perennial based pasture system. Reduction of these carbon footprints using appropriate mitigation strategies, could reduce chemical and energy use of pasture production, which will result in financial benefits. This project proposed to compare the life cycle global warming performance of an annual pasture system with perennial based pasture systems in WA and identify the pasture production systems with the lowest GHG footprints.

The project commenced with a PhD student, however was unable to be completed and so terminated