Sustainability in breeding farms: the case of the Maremmana beef

The Slow Food Foundation has recently launched the “narrative label” project aimed to inform consumers on lifecycle of products. Based on a pilot studies on meat supply chains, labels were provided including both qualitative and quantitative information. LCA has been applied to a wild breeding system of Maremmana cattle, a Slow Food Presidia in Tuscany (Italy), from feed production to the butcher shop. Enteric fermentations, manure management and ecosystem uptake within the farm were also evaluated by specific models. Results show that the Carbon Footprint is 16.67 kg CO2-eq per kg (carcass weight), 89% of which is due to enteric fermentation and manure management. Possible best practices were identified in order to further minimize impacts. Emissions from the livestock were found to be completely “compensated”, thanks to the CO2 direct absorption by ecosystems within the farm