Solagro

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy use are important parameters in the development of sustainable livestock systems. On-farm management practices can maximise energy efficiency and reduce gas emissions, however, these practices have yet to be identified and characterized. This study evaluated the eco-efficiency of cattle farming, considering a combination of the energy balance and GHG emissions from 33 farms in the Brazilian Amazon (Paragominas - Pará), using a diagnostic tool adapted to the region. The farms represented the diverse production systems operating in the area, distinguished by their activity (dairy, breeder, breeder-fattener and fattener), degree of intensification, and agrarian situation (corresponding to the farm’s geographical location and social and economic inclusion in the municipality). Energy efficiency on beef cattle farms is on average 16.29 GJ/t live weight (min = 1.74 GJ/t, max = 43.01 GJ/t), and on dairy farms 2.74 GJ/1000 L (min = 0.17, max = 6.48), i.e., respectively 46% and 40% lower than the figures reported by studies conducted in metropolitan France. Improved grazing enhances natural resources by optimising the use of forage biomass, which has a positive impact on energy efficiencies. The purchase of young animals and fertilisation account for a high percentage of energy consumption, with fuel constituting the major part of the direct energy consumed. GHG emissions are on average 17.40 teqCO2/t live weight (min = 6.13, max = 40.85), similar to those of metropolitan France (14 teqCO2/t). When emissions from livestock and storage by forests and pastures over 20 years of age are taken into account, farms have a positive carbon balance. The deforestation levels of each farm over the past 20 years have a strong impact on this balance sheet, which can make it negative. This study highlights the effectiveness of the method in identifying systems and practices that could help farms achieve greater sustainability in terms of energy use and GHG emissions.

Abstract Although food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG) include guidelines for meat consumption, their setting most often do not explicitly include environmental considerations. For instance, in France, FBDG recommend consuming no more than 500 g of red meat and 150 g of processed meat per week. This study uses modeling to investigate the range of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe) that can be achieved under FBDG compliance.The study analyzed data collected in 2014 from 29,413 NutriNet-Santé participants to assess their adherence to the French FBDG. GHGe, cumulative energy demand (CED), and land occupation (LO) for organic and conventional foods were obtained from the DIALECTE database. Diets adequate in nutrients, culturally acceptable, and consistent with FBDG were modeled under different GHGe constraints. Environmental, nutritional, and health criteria were then calculated.The average observed adequacy to FBDG was low (19%, SD=25%) and GHGe were 4.34 (SD=2.7%) kgCO2eq/d. The GHGe range of the diets varied from 1.16 to 6.99 kgCO2eq/d, depending up to ∼85% on the level of meat consumption. Similar associations were observed for CED, LO and Health Risk Score. At isoenergetic diets, the diet with the lowest emissions had a higher proportion of vegetables, whole grains, and plant-based substitutes. This diet had a lower CED, LO, and a greater proportion of organic foods when compared to the diet with the highest emissions.While French dietary guidelines contribute, on average, to mitigating climate change and promoting health, this study emphasizes levers in recommended food consumption to more efficiently reduce diets’ GHGe and points to total meat as the critical issue to better account for pressure on climate change. Other environmental pressures should also be taken into account when designing dietary guidelines.HighlightsThe average greenhouse gas emissions of the observed diets was 4.34 (SD=2.70) kgCO2eq/d with an energy intake of 2080 Kcal/dThe diet that closely resembled the observed diet under the dietary guidelines, nutrient and acceptability constraints (TD model) had emissions of 5.15 kgCO2eq/d .Modeled diets that complied with dietary guidelines and nutrient and acceptability constraints had emissions ranging from 1.16 kgCO2eq/d (model MinGHGe) to 6.99 kgCO2eq/d (model MaxGHGe).All modeled diets had higher consumption levels of fruit, vegetable oils, pulses, and wholegrain products.The MinGHGe and MaxGHGe diets, and the range of identified models in between, differed in their level of beef/lamb, refined cereals, fruit, pork, and snack products.The level of meat, especially beef/lamb, explained most of the difference (up to ≈85%) in GHGe across models.The level of total meat consumption varied progressively across models that imposed an increase in GHGe.

En Guyane, les questions environnementales et le besoin croissant en énergie et produits alimentaires liés à la croissance démographique exercent une pression accrue sur les ressources naturelles par le changement d’affectation des sols qu’ils engendrent. Des agriculteurs testent cependant des pratiques à faible impact conciliant objectifs de production et respect de l’environnement. Une prospection dans les systèmes de production agricoles guyanais, basée sur des enquêtes de terrain, a permis la description de ces pratiques ; parmi celles-ci, les pratiques à faible impact sur la dynamique du carbone ont été sélectionnées dans des systèmes maraîchers et arboricoles, pour des mesures spécifiques des stocks de carbone des sols. En Guyane, la pratique de la défriche est toujours active afin d’étendre les surfaces agricoles utiles. Cela induit des pertes de carbone importantes. Nous cherchons donc à identifier des pratiques qui permettent de compenser ces pertes. La place du sol dans les prises de décision des agriculteurs a été appréhendée et des mesures spécifiques des stocks de carbone des sols ont complété l’enquête, pour mieux comprendre les logiques des pratiques mises en œuvre et en cerner les effets. Nos résultats montrent que les agriculteurs maîtrisent « l’objet sol » dans ses composantes physiques ; la matière organique est un indicateur reconnu qui conditionne l’organisation des cultures sur l’exploitation. En Guyane, les agriculteurs mobilisant des pratiques à faible impact ont des systèmes de production efficients au niveau économique et environnemental (carbone et gaz à effet de serre).

Abstract Arable crops are typically grown in annual rotations. Diverse rotations can support ecosystem services, provide economic resilience and support adaptation to climate change. Our aim was to assess farmers' attitudes to planning and diversifying crop rotations, focusing on their responses in the face of contrasting climate viewpoints. We interviewed 75 farmers from four regions along a latitudinal gradient from the south of the UK to the south of France. We used a semi-structured questionnaire with face-to-face interviews and asked farmers to respond to two narrative viewpoints of climate change impacts: one viewpoint focused on opportunities, the other on constraints. We found in all four regions that farmers' use rotations, and the crops within rotations, to achieve their main objectives of financial stability and improved soil health. Most farmers (79-100% depending on region) said they had experienced climate change, and many (54-83%) had already implemented changes in their farming practices. We did not find a difference in these results based on latitude. However, farmers' self-reported outlook was mostly optimistic in southern UK and become progressively more pessimistic further south. Overall, most farmers predicted that they would diversify and lengthen rotations in response to climate change. However, when presented with a viewpoint of climate change impacts focusing on opportunities, more farmers were likely to diversify and lengthen, and fewer were likely to shorten rotations, compared to a viewpoint presenting constraints from these impacts. Crucially, here we show that the presentation of climate change affects the ways in which farmers predict how they will respond to climate change. Diversified rotations would align with multiple other economic and environmental benefits. Therefore, it is essential to consider the way in which climate change impacts are communicated, and the effect on farmers' behavior, when designing measures to support environmentally-sustainable adaptation to climate change.

In the current context of unsustainable food systems, we aimed to develop and validate an index, the sustainable diet index (SDI), assessing the sustainability of dietary patterns, including multidimensional individual indicators of sustainability. Based on the FAO's definition of sustainable diets, the SDI includes seven indicators categorised into four standardised sub-indexes, respectively, environmental, nutritional, economic and sociocultural. The index (range: 4-20) was obtained by summing the sub-indexes. We computed the SDI for 29 388 participants in the NutriNet-Santé cohort study, estimated its validity and identified potential socio-demographic or lifestyle differences across the SDI quintile. In our sample, the SDI (mean=12·10/20; 95 % CI 12·07, 12·13) was highly correlated to all the sub-indexes that exerted substantial influence on the participants' ranking. The environmental and economical sub-indexes were the most and less correlated with the SDI (Pearson R 2 0·66 and 0·52, respectively). Dietary patterns of participants with a high SDI (considered as more sustainable) were concordant with the already published sustainable diets. Participants with high SDI scores were more often women (24 %), post-secondary graduates (22 %) and vegetarians or vegans (7 %), without obesity (16 %). Finally, the SDI could be a useful tool to easily assess the sustainability-related changes in dietary patterns, estimate the association with long-term health outcomes and help guide future public health policies.

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