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fuel, and fertilizer used to produce hog feed. Alfalfa, corn, and soybean seeds
improved through biotechnology and conventional breeding become healthy crops
that are pest-resistant and herbicide-tolerant. Best practices for fertilizer management ensure that the right amount of the appropriate fertilizer is used at the right
time and in the right place.
Machinery equipped with precision systems, such as GPS, cover every inch of
the field with precisely planted seeds and treat each plant with the nutrients and crop
protection products needed. Precision systems also allow less productive land to be
identified and set aside for conservation use, such as pollinator or wildlife habitat.
These crops are blended with nutrients to make pig feed that is healthier and
easier to digest, resulting in fewer methane emissions during the digestive process.
“Smart barns” provide consistent temperature, comfortable housing, and readily
available feed and water. With detailed data on the health and development of the
herd, farmers can reduce energy use, save labor, and protect pigs from disease.
2.8.3 Investing in Productivity for Africa’s Dairy Hub: Kenya
Kenya’s dairy farmers produce more than five billion tons of milk per year, the most
in Africa (FAOSTAT 2017). The dairy industry accounts for 6 to 8% of Kenya’s
GDP and provides income for two million households. Consumers also benefit from
Kenya’s dairy productivity; per capita milk consumption is 100 liters (26 gallons)
per year, more than any other developing country (Katothya 2017).
Kenya’s dairy industry is endangered by climate change. A substantial increase
in mean temperature is predicted for East Africa and could lead to a reduction in
fodder output and grazing land capacity. Increasing temperatures threaten the health
and productivity of livestock. As droughts lengthen and intensify, large-scale cattle
losses are likely. Small-scale farmers will be forced to sell cows or land to cope with
the loss of income, making it difficult for them to recover financially when the
drought is over.
As part of its climate change adaption and mitigation strategy, Kenya’s dairy sector needs to increase the productivity of its dairy cattle and reduce the GHG emission intensity of milk production (Box 2.10). Sub-Saharan Africa’s milk production
has the highest emission intensity in the world, three times greater than the global
average and almost double that of South Asia.
Kenya is home to 75% of the dairy cattle in Southern and Eastern Africa; 80% of
Kenya’s milk output is produced by small-scale farmers. By improving cattle productivity and reducing emission intensity, the dairy sector in Kenya can significantly mitigate greenhouse gases while increasing small-scale farmer income.
More than half of the emission intensity of milk production in sub-Saharan
Africa comes from methane produced during a cow’s digestive process. One strategy for reducing these emissions is to add legume silages to a cow’s diet. Legumes
are digested more efficiently, so a cow produces less methane and more milk.
Improving the genetics of dairy cattle is another way to reduce methane emissions
2 Productivity in Agriculture for a Sustainable Future
fuel, and fertilizer used to produce hog feed. Alfalfa, corn, and soybean seeds
improved through biotechnology and conventional breeding become healthy crops
that are pest-resistant and herbicide-tolerant. Best practices for fertilizer management ensure that the right amount of the appropriate fertilizer is used at the right
time and in the right place.
Machinery equipped with precision systems, such as GPS, cover every inch of
the field with precisely planted seeds and treat each plant with the nutrients and crop
protection products needed. Precision systems also allow less productive land to be
identified and set aside for conservation use, such as pollinator or wildlife habitat.
These crops are blended with nutrients to make pig feed that is healthier and
easier to digest, resulting in fewer methane emissions during the digestive process.
“Smart barns” provide consistent temperature, comfortable housing, and readily
available feed and water. With detailed data on the health and development of the
herd, farmers can reduce energy use, save labor, and protect pigs from disease.
2.8.3 Investing in Productivity for Africa’s Dairy Hub: Kenya
Kenya’s dairy farmers produce more than five billion tons of milk per year, the most
in Africa (FAOSTAT 2017). The dairy industry accounts for 6 to 8% of Kenya’s
GDP and provides income for two million households. Consumers also benefit from
Kenya’s dairy productivity; per capita milk consumption is 100 liters (26 gallons)
per year, more than any other developing country (Katothya 2017).
Kenya’s dairy industry is endangered by climate change. A substantial increase
in mean temperature is predicted for East Africa and could lead to a reduction in
fodder output and grazing land capacity. Increasing temperatures threaten the health
and productivity of livestock. As droughts lengthen and intensify, large-scale cattle
losses are likely. Small-scale farmers will be forced to sell cows or land to cope with
the loss of income, making it difficult for them to recover financially when the
drought is over.
As part of its climate change adaption and mitigation strategy, Kenya’s dairy sector needs to increase the productivity of its dairy cattle and reduce the GHG emission intensity of milk production (Box 2.10). Sub-Saharan Africa’s milk production
has the highest emission intensity in the world, three times greater than the global
average and almost double that of South Asia.
Kenya is home to 75% of the dairy cattle in Southern and Eastern Africa; 80% of
Kenya’s milk output is produced by small-scale farmers. By improving cattle productivity and reducing emission intensity, the dairy sector in Kenya can significantly mitigate greenhouse gases while increasing small-scale farmer income.
More than half of the emission intensity of milk production in sub-Saharan
Africa comes from methane produced during a cow’s digestive process. One strategy for reducing these emissions is to add legume silages to a cow’s diet. Legumes
are digested more efficiently, so a cow produces less methane and more milk.
Improving the genetics of dairy cattle is another way to reduce methane emissions
2 Productivity in Agriculture for a Sustainable Future