TITLE:
Contribution of Animal Agriculture to Greenhouse Gases Production in Swaziland
AUTHORS:
A. M. Dlamini, M. A. Dube
KEYWORDS:
Greenhouse Gases, Animal Agriculture, Methane, Global Warming, Climate Change, Adaptation
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Climate Change,
Vol.3 No.3,
September
18,
2014
ABSTRACT: The economy of Swaziland is depended on agriculture. In 2009, it was
reported that agriculture, forestry, and manufacturing contributed 42% of
Swaziland’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Besides economic importance, animal
agriculture is important for food production and life sustenance. It is also
viewed as a symbol of wealth and high social status particularly for the rural
folks. Despite the merits of agricultural activities, agricultural production,
particularly animal production, has been incriminated for an accelerated
emission of greenhouse gases. These gases are responsible for global warming
and climate change. The aim of this study was to determine the contribution of
animal agriculture to greenhouse gases production and to elicit adaptation
strategies to climate change and the role of modern technologies as mitigating
measures. The minor and major greenhouse gases produced by farm animals were
computed using the IPCC spread sheet for calculation of greenhouse gases
emissions. The minor greenhouse gases produced by farm animals were NOx and CO2 and the major gasses included CH4 and N2O.
The greenhouse gas that was emitted the most by farm animals was CH4,
24 Gg or 600 CO2e per annum. Ruminants were the major producers of
methane. The producers of the least greenhouse gases emissions were non
ruminants. Livestock produced 0.87 Gg of N2O per annum, a global
warming potential of 259 CO2e. Feeding ammoniated straw and silage
inoculating with transgenic rumen bacteria, animal breeding and manure storage
techniques, use of biogas digester with methane gas recovery and emphasis on
non ruminant production were possible strategies that could be employed to
reduce greenhouse gases production from the livestock sector. It was
recommended that feed preservation technologies, selection strategies, water
harvesting, storage and recycling strategies and intensive livestock production
systems could be used as adaptation strategies to climate change in livestock
production.