乳制品碳市场

University of Idaho agricultural economists have been conducting research and outreach to help dairy producers meet an ambitious industry-wide goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

美国创新中心.S. 乳业公司推出了 U.S. 乳制品净零倡议 (NZI), seeking to attain net-zero dairy greenhouse gas emissions within the next three decades.

小李艾蒂安爱达荷州小麦委员会Bill Flory风险管理特聘主席; 赫尔南Tejeda, an agricultural economist; and Andres Trujillo-Barrera, director of the Agricultural Commodity Risk Management Program; met in March 2023 to discuss NZI in depth with a focus group comprising a representative sample of Idaho dairies.

The 爱达荷奶牛场协会 coordinated, 主持和主持焦点小组, assembled to help the researchers explore producers’ perceptions about NZI and identify the current adoption status of carbon-reduction projects, 实施它们的潜在障碍, opportunities for broader adoption and future research topics to help producers make the transition.

“This work is important for dairy producers because it tells us the real-world challenges and opportunities they face in striving for net-zero emissions,艾蒂安说. “通过探索爱达荷州乳制品生产商的观点, we can identify what’s holding them back and what can help them move forward. This can guide policies and support systems that make it easier for producers to adopt sustainable practices.”

基于与焦点小组的讨论, 这三位经济学家提交了一篇论文, “2050年净零排放:美国乳业的气候承诺和爱达荷州的经验教训。,，以便将来在科学杂志上发表. Furthermore, Tyler Hand, who recently graduated from U of I with a master’s degree in applied economics, 根据焦点小组的反馈写的硕士论文.

The researchers found that producers remain skeptical that the net-zero goal is realistic. Many worry about the long-term financial viability of emission reduction projects. Producers also expressed concerns that requiring a blanket reduction in emissions could penalize early adopters of sustainable production practices.

The paper the economists recently submitted for publication outlines several options and incentives for dairy producers to reduce emissions: building anaerobic digestors, 出售通过减排获得的碳信用额, 支持在自己的供应链内减少排放的努力, 在农场生产更多的饲料以减少运输, 免耕饲养饲料, using cover crops to fix nitrogen and improving manure management to curb methane emissions.

研究人员还计划进行一项大规模的, 评估生产者观念的多年研究项目, 乳制品供应链中的碳营销机会和风险.

To educate dairy producers about their options for reducing emissions, Tejeda collaborated with Washington State University colleagues and experts from throughout the country on hosting workshops. Titled “乳制品碳市场的机遇与风险,” workshops were hosted March 27 in Boise and March 28 in Burley and drew about 40 dairy producers and stakeholders combined.

他们还发布了一系列播客，题为“碳和牛$.整个项目得到了5万美元的资助 西部拓展风险管理教育.

“乳制品生产商将不得不降低排放量, 但与此同时，他们也能从中受益,特赫达说.

The workshops covered the risks and economics of dairies building anaerobic digesters, either to produce renewable natural gas from dairy emissions or to burn dairy emissions to generate renewable electricity, as well as opportunities to benefit from other production practices that lower their emissions. Dairies that create renewable gas or power with digestors are eligible to currently sell credits to markets in Washington, 俄勒冈和加利福尼亚, 哪些国家已经实施了强制性减排计划. Dairies can also benefit financially by selling the gas and power they produce in their respective markets.

Producers of renewable natural gas are eligible for federal credits quantified via renewable identification number (RINs), 这种汽油目前的交易价格约为每加仑3美元. The Environmental Protection Agency is still working to roll out a federal credit program for renewable electricity production (eRIN).

爱达荷州的奶牛场平均有1头奶牛,700 cows, and operators would need more than double that number of cows to make a natural gas digester profitable under current economic conditions. Digesters for power production should become more viable once an eRIN incentive is established.

Building a digestor is a monumental project involving significant risk. It can take upwards of 15 years to recoup an investment in digestor equipment. Some large dairies have entered into contracts with energy companies that cover the equipment, installation and operation costs in exchange for a share of the revenue. Tejeda advises dairymen to hire legal experts to carefully evaluate such contracts.

During slumping dairy markets, dairy profits may be insufficient to cover potential biogas losses. Prices for electricity and biogas are not static, nor are incentives paid for renewable energy. For example, carbon credits paid by California dropped from about $200 per metric ton of reduced emissions in 2020 to about $68 as of early this year based on increasing number of players entering the market. 自愿碳市场仍在发展中, and producers face the risk of dealing with people in this matter that they don’t know well. 其他障碍包括沼气和电力产量的变化, 容量限制以及维护和管理成本.

“零净倡议还有25年的时间, 所以在接下来的六个月到一年内，没有人需要操之过急,特赫达说. “他们只需要好好教育自己所涉及的一切.”

Visit …/ carbon-markets-and-cows 欲了解更多信息，请致电208-736-3622或与赫尔南Tejeda联系 htejeda@azarnewsonline.com.

发表于《365滚球官网》