Fast-finishing systems with dairy-beef animals resulted in a carbon footprint that is 32%-48% lower than the average for traditional beef systems in New Zealand.
The study was carried out after analysis by AgResearch scientists and supported by the Bioresource Processing Alliance in partnership with organisations such as Fonterra and Alps 2 Ocean Foods.
Farm data from the beef and dairy industries used in the analysis was based on kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per kilogram of finished liveweight of the animals.
Scenarios were analysed for dairy-beef steers processed between 10 and 18 months of age and include emissions from animal production, input generation, transportation, and background processes.
AgResearch senior scientist Andre Mazzetto said there were many issues at play for determining the emissions and the differences between the dairy and beef animals.
He said that included how emissions were allocated between milk and liveweight, and issues such as growth rates, feed efficiency and the finishing period/time to slaughter of the animals.
"This work points to tangible ways that farmers can reduce the carbon footprint of their beef herds," he said in a statement.
"Emission reductions can be achieved simply by integrating dairy-beef animals into the herd, but the scope of this reduction can be significantly increased with fast-finishing beef systems. There would be few tools or management strategies available which can have such significant climate impact."
Dr Mazzetto said sourcing calves from the dairy industry would present an opportunity for the beef industry to significantly reduce its emissions, as well as a providing an alternative use for the calves. New avenues were being found for young dairy-beef animals, such as Alps2Ocean Foods’ Mīti product made from the meat, he said.
"However, we recognise there are also management and logistical challenges for the industries to overcome, including the finishing and processing of these animals."
Fonterra sustainability director Charlotte Rutherford said the co-op wanted to increase more options for dairy-beef calves.
"We see the opportunity to integrate these calves into the red meat sector as a major opportunity for NZ ag. These results show that with the right genetics, care and farming systems, dairy-beef animals offer the opportunity to reduce carbon emissions, contributing to the long-term sustainability of our industry."
Alliance Group livestock and shareholder general manager Murray Behrent said the study’s findings made a major contribution to the red meat sector’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"We see a promising opportunity to develop a beef production and red meat processing system focused on younger livestock, which could lead to a substantial reduction in New Zealand’s emissions. Furthermore, it offers a pathway to producing low-carbon footprint protein for global food producers who are aiming to meet their Scope 3 CO2 emission targets by 2030."
Alps2Ocean Foods founder Daniel Carson said the study highlighted the vast potential of low-carbon beef protein from non-replacement dairy calves.
He said the Mīti beef bar was a proof of concept product for how surplus dairy calves could be transformed into high-value, low-carbon products and innovators would create more opportunities.
State farmer Pāmu also contributed to the study.
Chief executive Mark Leslie said processing the animals within one year avoided challenges with wintering animals and contributed to a lower emissions profile for more sustainable farming.
"This aligns with our dairy beef strategy to find new markets for surplus calves and meets our goals of lowering methane emissions and supporting a more efficient and sustainable agricultural sector."
