Methane Emissions from Livestock Production : Case Study - Sustainable Rural Development Project in the State of Paraiba

Overview & Synopsis

This study was conducted in alignment with the objectives of the World Bank’s Methane Reduction Blueprint and financed by the Global Methane Reduction Platform for Development (CH4D), the Bank’s hub for methane abatement in agrifood and waste sectors. It estimates the impact of adopting best management practices and increasing dairy productivity - through rural extension activities implemented under the PRS-PB - on methane emissions from enteric fermentation and manure management in cattle and goat farming in the semi-arid region of Paraíba. The evaluations draw on data from diagnostics carried out on 173 rural properties (20 percent of total PRS-PB beneficiaries) supported by the National Rural Learning Service (SENAR, by its Portuguese acronym), as well as the characterization of 64 rural properties (7.5 percent of beneficiaries) using the Rural Invest methodology. The assessment also incorporates projected increases in milk and dairy production outlined in the Business Plans of cooperatives submitted to the PRS-PB. Equations and emission factors from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2019 Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories were applied, using both intermediate- and advanced-complexity approaches. The results indicate that, over a five-year horizon and considering productivity gains stemming from investments in the cooperatives, the maintenance and expansion of good production practices promoted through the PRS-PB’s technical assistance services have the potential to avoid approximately 588 tons of CH₄ emissions. This mitigation corresponds to a reduction of up to 23.3 percent in total methane emissions compared with a scenario without the adoption of these improved practices.