Greenhouse gas emissions of regionally produced alternative feedstuffs rich in protein for Austrian dairy production

Summary

The aim of this study was to analyse the potential greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) of locally and regionally produced, alternative protein‐rich feedstuffs (APRFs) which can be utilised in dairy cattle feeding as compared to extracted soybean meal (SBME) in a complete life‐cycle chain for Austria. In addition to GHGE from soil (N2O), from the production of mineral fertilizers and pesticides, industrial processes (oil milling, distillery, and drying plant) and use of fuels, the effects of land use change (LUC) were included in the calculation of GHGE. Currently, SBME, which is mainly imported from South‐America, is the most important protein feedstuff for livestock in Austria, but recently it was started to replace it by APRFs in diets for dairy cows for various reasons. In this study, the GHGE of SBME was compared to those of regionally cultivated and locally processed APRFs. Furthermore, mixtures of APRFs were evaluated which provided energy and available protein equivalent to one kg of SBME. In conclusion, utilisation of more locally produced APRFs shows clear advantages in terms of GHGE. Balanced mixtures of APRFs may offer specific benefits in this regard. On average of all four balanced mixtures of APRFs presented in this study, they result in a reduction of GHGE of about 55% as compared to SBME.