Calculation Method of the Carbon Footprint of Products of Animal Origin Integrated with the Physiological Absorption of Carbon Dioxide: Calculation Example of the CFP of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DPO

Abstract

The environmental impact of emissions appears to be increasingly important for food, particularly those of animal origin. The LCA (Life-Cycle Assessment) method, an internationally standardized method used to calculate the environmental impact of goods or services, in the carbon footprint, does not take into account the carbon set and consequently the subtraction of carbon dioxide by the plant biomass whether or not aimed at the production of food of animal origin. This methodology could overestimate the carbon dioxide generated to obtain plant and animal products that require their use. For the production of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DPO, in this specific case, the masses of the various forage and cereal species used were quantified starting from the food rations of the different categories divided by age and production phase (dry, lactation, young livestock and heifers). The population includes all the animals reared in the areas covered by the DPO specification and with a milk production orientation. The carbon fixed in the forage and consequently the carbon dioxide subtracted from the atmosphere was calculated on the food mass, through the various harvesting speeds and the percentages of dry matter. The purpose of this contribution was to calculate the number of greenhouse gases emitted during the digestive and fermentative processes as well as that produced by the manure and the CO₂ emitted with respiration by comparing it with the sequestration of carbon, and therefore of carbon dioxide, in all plants and all vegetable raw materials, grown in Italy and abroad, used to feed the buffaloes destined for the production of buffalo mozzarella from Campania (Mozzarella MBC) in the DPO area. The amount of greenhouse gases converted into equivalent carbon dioxide emitted during production is lower than the carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere. For every kg of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DPO, a total of about 52 kg of CO₂eq is subtracted. Therefore, if this factor were taken into account for agricultural and animal products, the environmental impacts in terms of emissions would be reset.