A new three-year Goat Sustainability Project is set to measure goat greenhouse gas emissions and evaluate carbon balance and sequestration potential for producers.
The Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) noted that concerns about agriculture’s climate change and greenhouse gas emissions have primarily focused on the beef, dairy, and sheepmeat sectors. However, there is a considerable data and research gap in the goat industry, particularly for vast and rangeland goat enterprises.
The majority of goats in Australia are raised in these systems, making it crucial to comprehend and address their emissions and sustainability.
To bridge the knowledge gap and help achieve practical outcomes for goat producers, the Goat Sustainability Project has been launched, funded by the MLA Donor Company (MDC) in collaboration with the University of Queensland (UQ).
Dr Sarah Meale, project researcher and Senior Lecturer in Animal Science and Production at UQ, explained that the project intends to quantify goat greenhouse gas emissions and analyse the carbon balance and possibilities for sequestration on demonstration sites.
“We hope that our findings will help to provide a comprehensive understanding of goat emissions and sustainable management practices and showcase evidence-based opportunities for producers to adopt more sustainable management practices on-farm,” Dr Meale said.
The Goat Sustainability Project aims to quantify the greenhouse gas emissions of goats, evaluate their carbon balance in ecosystems like Mitchell grass downs, shaded downs, and Mulga-dominant forests, as well as test and manage their practices. The project will study emissions in field and laboratory settings, considering production systems, dietary compositions, growth stages, and physiological statuses. It will also assess the carbon sequestration potential of these ecosystems based on environmental factors and stock management changes. Additionally, the project will investigate the impact of factors like reproductive rate, kid growth rate, parasite burden, and heat stress on emissions, demonstrating sustainable landscape outcomes through low-intensity rotational grazing and monitoring feedbase composition. The project aims to improve carbon literacy among producers and advisors in the goat industry and demonstrate sustainable goat management in different landscapes.
Project research is underway in Queensland, gathering data from goat producers across four pasture types and 20 browse samples to understand goat diets comprehensively.
The project’s second year will next focus on selecting three feeds that produce the best results and testing them in animals. This will include animal metabolism trials as well as measurements of actual methane emissions and digestion.
It will also include a trial investigating the effects of pregnancy and parachute loads on goat emissions.
“In the final year, methane emissions from goats under heat stress will be quantified, alongside on-farm measurements of methane emissions throughout the three years,” Dr Meale said.
“At the conclusion of this project, in collaboration with industry, we hope to be able provide evidence-based advice on best sustainable grazing practices and materials that can be used to support ongoing participation of the goat sector in industry sustainability initiatives, and for producers to enhance their on-farm sustainability outcomes,” she stated.
Dr Meale believes the project has the potential to be a game changer for goat producers.
“By enhancing carbon literacy and promoting sustainable practices, knowledge and insights gained over the next three years could help pave the way for a more environmentally friendly and economically viable future for the goat industry,” she added.
