Greenhouse gas emissions from livestock production in rural area of Algeria, the case of Chemini (Kabylie)

摘要

TheAlgerianagriculturalsectorfacesthechallengetomeetthefoodneedsofitspopulationdespitelowagriculturalcapacity,resultinginincreasingpressureonnaturalresources.Thispaperaimstoinventorythegreenhousegas(GHG)emissionsrelatedtolivestocksectorintheruralareaofChemini(provinceofBejaia),takingintoaccounttheemissionsduetoentericfermentation,intheformofmethane,andmanuremanagement,intheformofmethaneandnitrousoxide.Emissionsintensity,expressedinCO2-equivalents(CO2-eq)perkgofedibleprotein,wasincludedinthestudy.Ruminantscontributeto94%oflivestockGHGemissionsandto53%ofproteinproduction,withalargeshareduetocattle.Themainpartofemissionsisrelatedtoentericfermentation.High-producingcattlepresentthelowestemissionintensityoftheruminantcategorywith24kgCO2-eqperkgprotein.Chickensproduce2.7%oflivestockrelatedemissionsbutprovide47%ofanimalprotein.Itresultsinlowemissionintensitieswhereasimportantdifferenceisnoticedbetweenbackyardandindustrializedsystems(around21versus1kgCO2-eqperkgprotein,respectively).ImprovementofanimalperformanceshouldcontributetomitigatetheenvironmentalimpactoflivestockproductioninAlgeria.