Livestock and manure management Subscribe Share SHARE Facebook share Twitter LinkedIn Copy URL Email Breadcrumb Home Project Portfolio Livestock and Manure Management Funding CCAC Funded Implementing partners Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE), Wageningen University - Stichting Dienst Landbouwkundig Onderzoek Poor manure management practices are common on much of the world’s farms, as farmers lack awareness about the value of livestock manure as a fertilizer and fuel. Manure is often disposed of in piles, slurries or lagoons, which can lead to significant emissions of the greenhouse gas methane, as well environmental degradation, negative health impacts, and the loss of valuable nutrients that could be added to soil. The Coalition’s Agriculture Initiative promotes integrated manure and urine management practices that prevent harmful short-lived climate pollutant emissions while also providing added benefits for farmers through cost savings and additional income. ChallengesLivestock manure contributes to short-lived climate pollutant emissions through two processes: Through storage methods, especially liquid storage, which emit large amounts of methane Through the burning of pastureland and the use of dung as a fuel for heating and cooking, which emit black carbon Methane is the main greenhouse gas emitted by liquid manure in storage. Photo credit: Don Jenkins, Capital Press These pollutants in turn hinder agricultural production through their impacts on air quality and climate change. The demand for livestock products, especially in developing countries, is expected to increase due to population growth and changes in dietary preferences. Without proper manure management practices, the increased animal numbers needed to meet this demand will result in an equal increase in emissions and other problems arising from manure collection, storage, treatment, and utilization. While integrated manure management practices exist today, many farmers lack information to improve manure management or are faced with institutional, technical and socio-economic constraints that prevent them from adopting new practices. ObjectivesThe Coalition aims to facilitate changes in manure management practices at the policy and local levels. The Coalition supports integrated practices that encompass all activities associated with the management of dung and urine: excretion, collection, housing and storage, anaerobic digestion, treatment, transport, application, and losses and discharge at any stage along the ‘manure chain’. What we're doingOur efforts are focused on mitigation opportunities in five regions, where we are carrying out studies of local conditions and partnering with agricultural producers and experts to facilitate knowledge sharing and access to resources. Key areas of work include: Potential reduction of methane emissions from mixed dairy farming systems Beef production The small ruminant sector Commercial pig production Improved mixed dairy systems Partners and stakeholders have coordinated efforts to reduce short-lived climate pollutant emissions by: Raising awareness of manure management options at the level of policy, private sector and farmers organizations through outreach and communication Establishing an Advisory Board of leading international institutions to provide strategic guidance Establishing a Central Hub and three Regional Centres – Africa, Latin America, and Asia - working in close collaboration, to identify opportunities and conduct work in regions, build networks and partnerships, gather information, and implement projects Establishing networks to exchange manure management information, connect people, and forge partnerships Launching an on-line knowledge hub - Manure Management Kiosk – to provide remote access to best practices about manure management Establishing a roster of experts to provide targeted technical assistance and training, analysis and practical implementation and policy support, relying heavily on co-financing and in-kind resources from partners Launching projects and partnerships to improve manure management by providing information, experts, knowledge exchange, and access to resources Key objectives include: Integrating manure management practices into livestock systems Improving existing practices to reduce short-lived climate pollutants and other harmful emissions to the environment Capturing methane as an energy source Optimizing nutrient utilization for crop production by managing and removing barriers to action with a view toward enhancing food security and sustainable development Impacts & results Coalition-funded work to date has resulted in: 7 Opportunities for Practices Change (OPCs) in seven countries that include examples of actual changes in manure policies and manure management practices 13 trainings for extension workers, with almost 300 extension workers trained 5794 farmers directly trained by the above extension workers on better manure management to reduce SLCPs 2 policies in integrated manure management drafted, 1 policy in development; 1 policy influenced 52 regional events and 15 global events or meetings to raise awareness, with an estimated 2000 stakeholders directly reached on manure management Together these activities have helped policymakers, practitioners and other key stakeholders acquire, share, and disseminate knowledge and leverage new and existing resource bases and institutions to enable the adoption of improved manure management practices at the regional, national, and local level. > Browse our range of “opportunities for practice change, and trainings available Related documents Awareness Materials 2019 CCAC Agriculture Initiative (infosheet) Download Download 2019_infosheet_initiative_agriculture_EN.pdf en fr es zh-hans Added on: 13 November, 2019 Reports, Case Studies & Assessments 2018 Briefing: Advancing Agricultural Climate Action to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants Download Download 2018_COP24-Advancing-Ag-Climate-Action_CCAC.pdf en Added on: 06 December, 2018 Related events Virtual Dialogue of the ASEAN Climate Resilience Network (ASEAN-CRN) — Exploring the nexus of climate change, food security, and the COVID-19 pandemic 8 June, 2021 Online Event Raising the ambition of agriculture in NDCs: 2020 and beyond - Act!on Agriculture 6 December, 2018 High Level Roundtable - “How can we make agricultural climate action more attractive?” 12 September, 2018
Funding CCAC Funded Implementing partners Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE), Wageningen University - Stichting Dienst Landbouwkundig Onderzoek
Awareness Materials 2019 CCAC Agriculture Initiative (infosheet) Download Download 2019_infosheet_initiative_agriculture_EN.pdf en fr es zh-hans Added on: 13 November, 2019
Reports, Case Studies & Assessments 2018 Briefing: Advancing Agricultural Climate Action to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants Download Download 2018_COP24-Advancing-Ag-Climate-Action_CCAC.pdf en Added on: 06 December, 2018
Virtual Dialogue of the ASEAN Climate Resilience Network (ASEAN-CRN) — Exploring the nexus of climate change, food security, and the COVID-19 pandemic 8 June, 2021 Online Event
High Level Roundtable - “How can we make agricultural climate action more attractive?” 12 September, 2018