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Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Answer

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effects on levels of (a) carbon dioxide and (b) other greenhouse gases achieved through use of an organic system of agriculture and of a biogas plant to recycle animal manures. [198746] Mr. Morley: A 2003 Defra-funded study OF0405, entitled "An assessment of the environmental impacts of organic farming", reviewed the impacts of organic farming on levels of carbon dioxide (in terms of both carbon dioxide emissions and carbon sequestration), and the other greenhouse gases nitrous oxide, methane and (the indirect greenhouse gas) ammonia. The review report can be found at http://www.defra.gov.uk/science/ project data/DocumentLibrary/OF0405/OF 0405 909 TRP.doc The EC MIDAIR project focuses on mitigation options for organic and conventional dairy production at a system and region specific level. Details of a Defra- funded study (CC0250) forming part of the project can be found at http://www2.defra.gov.uk/research/proiect data/More.asp?l=CC0255&M=KWS&V= cc0255&SCOPE=0 Proceedings of the International Conference "Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agriculture-- Mitigation Options and Strategies", held in February 2004 in Germany, is part of the MIDAIR project and contains reports of numerous, relevant assessments. Defra has funded two recent projects to assess the effects of anaerobic digestion (biogas plant) on carbon dioxide (via the use of methane generated in the plant as a replacement for non-renewable fossil fuel) and on other greenhouse gases (primarily via the capture and combustion to carbon dioxide of methane which might otherwise be released to the atmosphere--methane having a global warming potential many times that of carbon dioxide). Details of these studies can be found at http://www2.defra.gov.uk/research/project data/projects. asp?M=KWS&V=cc0222&SCOPE=0 and at http:// www2.defra.gov.uk/research/project data/projects.asp? M=KWS&V=c c0240&SCOPE=0 Anaerobic treatment options for animal manures (including biogas plants) and their effects on levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases were recently reviewed by C.H.Burton and C.Turner (2003) in "Manure Management" second Edition, Chapter 7, pp 273-320, ISBN: 09531282 6 1, Silsoe Research Institute, as part of the EU Accompanying Measure project, MATRESA.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

198746; 426 c2022-3W;426 c2028-9W

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Agriculture Air pollution Climate change Carbon dioxide Pollution control Organic farming Renewable energy

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk