Economic assessment of ecosystem services in the dairy sector

Bozhidar Ivanov, Petar Kirovski

Abstract: The contemporary production of milk and dairy products is inevitable connected with assessment of its impact on the environment. The main challenge for the dairy industry is to increase production in order to meet the growing demand worldwide along with mitigation of the effects and from green house gas emissions (GHG). The deteriorating impact on the environment includes GHG, ammonia from the livestock, contamination with chemicals, methane emitting from the enteric fermentation, NO2 from the nitrogen fertilizing of the fodder crops. The polluters in the water comprise contamination with NH4NO3, phosphorous, sediments, pathogens, organic manure used for the production of fodder crops and grazing animal management. In the paper, a review of the current state of the Bulgarian dairy sector is done, as the quantities of СО2 emitting from the cattle production is assessed. The level and share of the СО2 coming from the dairy sector in Bulgaria within total emission in EU is implemented too. A comprehensive overview of the main sources of contamination and the impact on the ecosystem services is done as well. A dozen of potential strategies for mitigation and reduction of the contamination from the dairy sector are identified. The most of measures pertain to improvement of the management and livestock husbandry in the dairy farms. For example, proposed measures include rising up the cow productivity, which will diminish the emissions from methane and ammonia. The improvements designated to the animal feeding concerning the limiting of raw protein intake through usage of maize silage in order to reduce the nitrogen and methane emissions, usage of inhibitors of the nitrification in the fertilizers are considered to impart for the mitigation of the damaging effects of the dairy livestock on the environment.

Keywords: dairy farms; diffusive pollution of waters; methane; mitigation of the greenhouse gases

Date published: 2017-10-03