Uruguay is a small country with a population of 3.5 million, but the meat it produces feeds approximately 30 million people. Agriculture is a key part of Uruguay’s economy, representing 70% of all its exports. However, the agriculture sector is responsible for 80% of Uruguay’s greenhouse gas emissions, half of which comes from enteric fermentation.
The country has turned this challenge into a key opportunity for climate action with a strategy to reduce emissions intensity by improving the efficiency and productivity of beef cattle. Since 65% Uruguay is covered by natural grass and pastureland, this strategy also aims to complement livestock emission reductions by sequestering carbon in soils and biomass.
Uruguay is working with the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to reduce methane from enteric fermentation and improve food security and livelihoods. This work has provided Uruguay with tools to increase national capacity in order to improve productivity by 30% to 35% while reducing emissions and achieving sustainable production.
Our Agriculture Initiative is working to transform ruminant livestock production systems to improve productivity and reduce enteric methane emissions per unit of animal product.
This project seeks to provide guidance to policy makers, and recommend incentives and institutional frameworks to encourage the adoption of productivity-enhancing technologies and practices.
Enteric methane emissions from ruminant animals raised for meat and milk account for as much as 30% of global anthropogenic methane emissions. Factors such as feed quality, animal size, and environmental temperature can increase the amount of methane an animal produces.
Since 2016, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (NZAGRC), has helped Uruguay:
More about this work:
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Implementer: A Coalition partner or actor receiving Coalition funds to implement an activity or initiative.
This study evaluates the potential for improving productivity while reducing enteric methane emission intensity from beef production in Uruguay. The overall objective of this...
El proyecto “Producción ganadera climáticamente inteligente y restauración de suelos en pastizales uruguayos” (GCP/URU/034/GFF), conocido como “Ganadería y Clima” se implementa desde marzo de 2019...
