Development of a New modelling Framework to Estimate the Carbon Footprint from Basque Dairy Farms

The research introduces a modelling framework combining the NGAUGE field-scale model and a new LANDDAIRY farm-scale submodel to quantify greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from Basque dairy farms. A case study of 17 farms in Bizkaia found mean total GHG emissions of 385 ± 175 t CO2-eq yr-1, with emissions per litre of energy-corrected milk ranging from 0.86 to 2.11 kg CO2-eq. The study identifies methane from enteric fermentation and emissions from purchased feed as the primary contributors to the carbon footprint, suggesting that purchased feed can serve as a proxy for estimating total farm emissions.

• The proposed modelling framework uses a 'cradle to the farm gate LCA' approach to simulate the effects of local soil and climate conditions on CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions.
• The framework integrates two primary components: a modified version of the NGAUGE field-scale model for soil-based stages and a new LANDDAIRY farm-scale submodel for housing, manure storage, and silage making.

APA

del Prado, A., Mas, K., Pardo, G., & Gallejones, P. (2013). Development of a New modelling Framework to Estimate the Carbon Footprint from Basque Dairy Farms. Basque Centre for Climate Change. https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/201301111109111141425588.pdf

Chicago

del Prado, Agustin, Karlos Mas, Guillermo Pardo, and Patricia Gallejones. Development of a New modelling Framework to Estimate the Carbon Footprint from Basque Dairy Farms. Basque Centre for Climate Change, 2013. https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/201301111109111141425588.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=del Prado |first1=Agustin |last2=Mas |first2=Karlos |last3=Pardo |first3=Guillermo |last4=Gallejones |first4=Patricia |title=Development of a New modelling Framework to Estimate the Carbon Footprint from Basque Dairy Farms |publisher=Basque Centre for Climate Change |date=January 2013 |url=https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/201301111109111141425588.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{delprado2013development, author = {del Prado, Agustin and Mas, Karlos and Pardo, Guillermo and Gallejones, Patricia}, title = {{Development of a New modelling Framework to Estimate the Carbon Footprint from Basque Dairy Farms}}, institution = {Basque Centre for Climate Change}, year = {2013}, month = jan, url = {https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/201301111109111141425588.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }