Comparative analysis of greenhouse gas emissions from three beef cattle herds in a corporate farming enterprise

Abstract

This study provided a gate-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment that modelled the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) of three herds bred and grown by an integrated beef cattle enterprise across northern Australia. It involved modelling the GHG emissions of current herd management by the enterprise as a 'baseline' compared with 'alternative scenarios' of herd management. There were three herds (one herd of steers and two herds of heifers) each consisting of 5000 head of cattle. The baseline consisted of the steer herd grazing on growing then backgrounding properties and being finished at a feedlot. The two heifer herds grazed one respective backgrounding property each and were finished in a feedlot for ..