Climate-smart livestock production in Arab countries (CSL4MENA)

Summary

In 2018, the MENA region recorded 3581.38 Mt CO2e, it is considered one of the countries with the highest per-capita greenhouse gas emissions worldwide (Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia) and the only region where the rise in CO2e emissions per person has exceeded the rise in average incomes. Among the polluting sectors, agriculture contributed 130.77 Mt CO2e, and more than 83% of the total agricultural emissions are due to livestock emissions (enteric fermentation and manure). In future scenarios, temperatures are projected to surge by 8 °C and precipitation to decrease by 15–30% by the end of the century in Algeria, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. Rapid erosion was also reported in the Maghreb region, making it the third-fastest-eroding region globally. These effects will likely be "severe, pervasive, and irreversible" in the years to come, which will make the MENA region one of the most vulnerable regions, affecting livestock production and crop yields, and threaten food and nutrition security.

In order to deal with these effects, it is urgently needed to transform agriculture, livestock farming, and food systems towards more sustainable production that respects the environment, meets consumers’ expectations, and provides substantial income and good working conditions to the local small farmers. The reduction of carbon footprints and greenhouse gas fluxes using more sustainable energy sources such as solar power, as well as the production of environmentally friendly and healthier food products and the genetic conservation and preservation of local breeds that are well adapted to the local harsh environment, are potential strategies that can be profitable and safeguard natural resources for future generations. Therefore, the overall objective of the CSL4MENA project was to develop a Nexus strategy, coupling the use of alternative animal feed using valuable wild plants and/or by-products from the agri-food sector with sustainable solar energy. The Nexus approach will be used between Agriculture, Food, Environment, and Energy to secure the supply of these resources. Partner teams (Algeria, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Mauritania) will be able to use sustainable energy in extensive systems in remote and mountainous regions and valorize agrifood products and wild plants (Thyme, Oregano, oat hay, Pennisetum glaucum, and Macroptilium lathyroides) through their incorporation into animal feed, which could significantly improve animal productivity, enhance product quality (milk and meat), and reduce their carbon footprint (environmental impacts). Those wild plants contain phytochemicals that are well known for their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiseptic properties, and they were used during the millennials in the MENA countries for their preservative and medicinal properties as well as for their role in enhancing the aroma and flavor of foods. This comprises a circular approach designed to produce reliable results beneficial to a wide range of stakeholders (consumers, small farmers, the food industry, etc.) and simultaneously hold the farmers to livestock activity, avoiding urbanism (social impacts). The Nexus approach can also provide solid new practices in livestock, propose tools for evidence-based decision-making, and develop a basin-level roadmap for wider adoption.

Achievements

List of Publications from the Project

Partners

Project Members

• Lamiaa Mostafa Abd El-Monam Radwan

Project Leaders