With temperatures having risen way above 40C in France this summer, it was fitting that this year Espace for the Future, which brings new thinking each year to a different topic at French agricultural trade show SPACE, should look at what poultry and other agricultural producers can do to slow the pace of climate change.
In response to the French Climate Act, which has set a goal of reaching climate neutrality by 2050, the agricultural sector needs to move quickly, given that it accounts for 19% of today greenhouse gases. Livestock Farming and Climate: Reducing the Impact, one of series of events throughout the three-day event, saw various experts outline possible areas of action and new technologies for producers but also called on press representatives to give their views on what is most concern to their readers.
There are numerous areas where the agricultural sector can act, and a number were highlighted where change can be implemented relatively easily. Amongst these were improving feed efficiency, reducing methane emissions through conversion into biogas, reducing transport distances, investment in new, more efficient buildings and producing energy on farm.
Better energy sources
Where poultry is concerned, energy accounts for 35% of costs, and wood burners were suggested as being an environmentally method for reducing the costs of heating houses. Photovoltaic panels could be another alternative, as was transforming waste into biogas.
The advantages of biogas were also raised for the pig sector, where it was suggested that slatted houses should have their waste removed several times a day for storage and subsequent conversion into biogas. This approach could reduce a house’s emissions by 80%.
