New Zealand beef and lamb among the most carbon efficient in world

Published 2022년 11월 14일

Tridge summary

A recent study by AgResearch, commissioned by Beef + Lamb New Zealand and the Meat Industry Association of New Zealand, has found that New Zealand's sheepmeat and beef have some of the lowest carbon footprints in the world. The research utilized the GWP100 approach to calculate the carbon footprint per kilo, with sheepmeat at 14.7kg CO2e and beef at 21.8kg CO2e. When considering the GWP* approach over a 20-year period, New Zealand sheepmeat is effectively climate neutral, and beef is significantly reducing its warming impact. The study highlights New Zealand's efficient farming practices and the absorption of emissions by trees and vegetation on farms, with a 30% reduction in greenhouse emissions since 1990. The researchers note the importance of accurately measuring and reporting environmental impacts to support sustainable food choices and are calling for the use of GWP* in assessments to better understand the warming effects of methane. The study was released in conjunction with a review in the Environmental Impact Assessment Review journal, emphasizing the novel use of GWP* in Life Cycle Assessments and the emerging discussion on the term 'climate neutral' in the context of food production.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

The comprehensive study by AgResearch has found that a kilo of New Zealand sheepmeat has a carbon footprint of just under 15 kilograms (kgs) of CO2 equivalent emissions per kilo. Meanwhile, the carbon footprint of New Zealand beef is just under 22kgs– making the country’s red meat among the most efficient in the world. The researchers, which compared New Zealand’s on-farm emissions to a range of countries’ footprints across the globe, concluded that when New Zealand beef or sheepmeat is exported, the total carbon footprint is lower or very similar to domestically-produced red meat in those nations. This is because New Zealand is so efficient at the farm level, which represents about 90-95% of the total carbon footprint. New Zealand’s on-farm footprint was about half the average of the other countries compared in the study. Based on the research, an analysis by B+LNZ and MIA shows eating red meat 2-3 times a week over the course of an entire year is just under the carbon footprint ...

Source: EuroMeat