Recycling nutrients in the beef supply chain through circular manuresheds: Data to assess tradeoffs

Abstract

Nutrient circularity can help supply chain participants meet sustainability targets. Across the segmented beef supply chain, opportunity exists to reinforce and introduce nutrient circularity by recycling surplus manure nutrients from cattle feedlots to lands where cattle feed is produced. We describe four datasets developed to evaluate options in U.S. and Canadian beef systems. The datasets delineate three “circular manuresheds,” each encompassing a hay‐grazing landscape where beef cattle are raised on grazingland and supplemented with hay grown nearby, and the distant feedlots where those cattle produce manure nutrients for potential import back to the hayfields. We selected the hay‐grazing landscapes of New Mexico, USA; Florida, USA; and western Canada (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia) because of their significant grazingland production and potential to substitute feedlot manure for commercial fertilizer on hayfields. In each circular manureshed, the manure nutrients from major feedlot destinations could supply a considerable proportion of the P used by hay for grazing cattle: 34% of the P requirements in New Mexico, 36% in Florida, and 6% in western Canada. The average distance to return the resource was 647 km for New Mexico, 1,884 km for Florida, and 1,587 km for western Canada. These magnitudes and distances suggest that the New Mexico circular manureshed may be the most economically viable in the current agri‐food system, but this reflects only part of a greater, multi‐factor assessment of tradeoffs. The circular manureshed concept provides a platform for simultaneous consideration of competing factors for sustainability via circularity.

Distribution of livestock sectors in Canada: Implications for manureshed management

“…Feedlots in southern and central AB are integrated with nearby slaughterhouses which process 70% of Canadian beef. The cow–calf and stocker (also called backgrounding) operations that provide the steers, heifers, and cull cows to feedlots are much smaller and widely dispersed in Canada, especially across Saskatchewan (SK), and the other western provinces (Spiegal et al., 2022). Pregnant cows and stocker animals are pastured during the growing season (May–September) and increasingly in winter paddocks to reduce production costs (Sheppard et al., 2016).…”

Design thinking for responsible Agriculture 4.0 innovations in rangelands

“…Each year approximately 850,000 calves are sold annually from 20,000 to 25,000 ranches in the Southwest, most of which are finished on the lands overlaying the Ogallala Aquifer. 37,38 At the same time, the rates of return on Southwest ranches are low, and typically less than other types of US agriculture. 39 This economic situation is being further stressed with climate change-related increases in temperature, heat waves, and drought.…”

“…Additionally, the team is developing an indicator framework to better understand the impacts of the technologies on sustainability across three domains (social, economic, and ecological). 38 Early discussions indicate PLF may help to increase rancher well-being by reducing stress and increasing flexibility in their schedules. Such elements increase the responsiveness of the team and the inclusivity of the test step.…”