Integration of Cost Considerations Into the Live Swine Carbon Footprint Calculator.

In 2011, the National Pork Board released the Live Swine Carbon Footprint Calculator. This tool, developed at the University of Arkansas, calculates emissions of greenhouse gasses (GHGs) across all phases (sows to grow-finish) of production for 12 activities including feed production, manure handling, and barn temperature. This tool estimates kg CO_2e/yr generated in the swine production process.   Users can change production activities to determine how those changes may impact emissions. However, currently the tool does not estimate the economic efficiency of system modifications.

We will describe the integration of economic considerations into the calculator. New algorithms that estimate the cost of day-to-day activities for sow and grow barn operations will be written. Costs will be estimated for energy, water and feed use, and labor associated with the 12 GHG emitting activities.  The user will be able to conduct differential cost analyses ($/kg GHG reduced) by estimating the cost of reducing GHG emissions associated with activity modifications. In this way, the tool will help users in identifying the relationships between GHG emissions and costs.  While some GHG reducing activities are expected to increase costs, efforts will be made to identify both cost minimization and even cost-savings approaches to GHG mitigation. Later, cost-benefit, risk assessment and optimization analyses will be performed to determine incentives needed to offset the cost of mitigation strategies.

The result will be a powerful tool that will allow swine producers to better determine the economic and environmental impacts of their production activities. It will also serve as the foundation for a more detailed life cycle assessment and costing being conducted through a grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. This model presents great potential for assisting researchers, policy makers, and especially farm managers in making informed decisions regarding GHG emissions while maintaining production and profitability.