Environmental challenges are many and a source of concern globally. They are in news reports and academic research work, some of which I pay close attention to as a nature enthusiast. I am intrigued by what I learn, and when I reference a specific environmental issue in private conversations people ask how I know the little that I do. It is our world so what happens to it should be of concern to all of us. Science and the studies conducted by scientists constantly point to emerging environmental challenges as well as possible solutions to them. One aspect where this is being done concerns agricultural practices that harm the environment. Recently, I took note of one such study by a Nigerian, Abiola Lawal, who relocated to the United States of America a few years back. He once worked in the Ohio (State) Department of Agriculture before he joined Purdue University, Indiana, USA, where he is now a PhD candidate.
The research being conducted by this Nigerian in the diaspora on animal production and environmental sustainability is one that I find both informative and interesting. This is more so as the outcome of his research can prove useful not just in the US where he is conducting it but in Nigeria as well. It might surprise a non-expert to learn that the seemingly harmless act of raising animals for food, as previous research work stated, could have negative impacts on the environment. I was surprised. When I first became aware of the phenomenon some years ago, I wondered how raising animals for food could cause harm to anything. Maybe we all understand that when animals eat up grass too intensely the location loses its vegetation, loses topsoil, and leads to desertification and even erosion. But I found it surprising, intriguing even, when I first read that raising cows added methane (produced in cow faeces) to the atmosphere and that this was not good for global emissions.
This piece of scientific information took time for me to digest. I had asked, how could gentle cows be a threat to our world? Are we not going to keep cows again? If we do not, what will adequately replace it in our diet? These concerns made me read more materials and I watched more documentaries on animal production explaining how the environmental effects could be mitigated. There are many environmental challenges sometimes called environmental sustainability challenges. They include climate change, biodiversity loss, deforestation, pollution, ocean acidification, overfishing, a sustainable food model, etc. I guess my example about the environmental effects of raising cows falls more precisely under a sustainable food model. Lawal’s research too falls in this category. My example about methane speaks to his area of research which benefits from his expertise in animal production and environmental science by addressing the challenge of excess nitrogen waste in animal faeces, specifically pigs.
Now, pig farming is a big business across the world. The United States especially is a major producer and consumer of pork and its products, and it is the world’s third-largest producer. The pig farming industry contributes billions of dollars annually to the US economy. In Nigeria too, pig farming presents a compelling opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs and established farmers. As a source of protein, pork is a staple in many Nigerian households. With a constantly rising demand and a favourable market here, pig farming offers the potential for significant profitability. Yet, the production of pigs is identified as a major source of environmental sustainability challenges. So as cow production raises questions in my mind so does pig production. And the pig challenge seems to me to be no less than the challenges posed by cow production.
Lawal’s research focuses on the application of low-protein diets in pig nutrition, specifically targeting the reduction of nitrogen excretion and the incidence of post-weaning diarrhoea in nursery pigs. Conventional high-protein diets, typically fed to pigs after weaning, often lead to increased fermentation in the hindgut. This exacerbates the problems of post-weaning diarrhoea while causing higher ammonia and nitrogen excretion. This increased nitrogen waste not only negatively impacts animal health and production efficiency but also “significantly contributes to several environmental challenges associated with intensive animal agriculture”.
Nitrous oxide emissions from pig manure represent a substantial greenhouse gas produced in animal agriculture. Although nitrous oxide is present in the atmosphere at a lower concentration (6 per cent) compared to methane at 16 per cent and carbon dioxide at 76 per cent, nitrous oxide’s global warming potential is nearly 10 times greater than that of methane and almost 300 times greater than that of carbon dioxide. This makes nitrous oxide a critical factor in global warming potential, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.
In addition to nitrous oxide, ammonia and nitrogen oxides contribute significantly to air pollution thus posing risks to human health and the environment. Furthermore, nitrates and organic nitrogen compounds also play a role in water pollution and the decline of biodiversity, exacerbating the environmental footprint of animal production systems.
The introduction of synthetic amino acids has enabled pig producers to implement low-protein diets, which can help to mitigate some of these environmental concerns. However, the transition to low-protein diets is frequently accompanied by a notable decrease in growth performance among pigs, as these diets do not provide sufficient protein for optimal development and well-being. Lawal’s research addresses this challenge by investigating the supplementation of nucleotides in low-protein diets for nursery pigs. While the identified challenges might have been long recognised in the US as far as pig production is concerned, I am learning about it for the first time through Lawal’s research. Could this mean the research problem he identified was not well known in Nigeria? Does it mean we have not embarked on research here that can lead to mitigations as Lawal’s study seeks to do?
If this is the case, it means our knowledge of this problem and the steps needed to combat it are way behind in Nigeria where pork is a popular item. We see pork displayed everywhere– fresh, fried, boiled, cooked in stew– and served in restaurants. I am concerned that this may be the usual case of Nigerians enjoying items in the food chain, while they blissfully are not aware of the negative impact the production process has on the environment let alone take action to address it. Doing nothing about the negative effects means the present generation may be reducing the quality of this planet that the next generation will need. Science has been making efforts to ensure this does not happen, and Lawal’s work is a significant contribution from my own point of view as a nature enthusiast. Ultimately, his research work not only addresses the pressing need for sustainable practices in animal production but also stands as a proactive response to the challenges posed by nitrogen waste in animal farming.
This means what he researches is an area where he can help make contributions one day on our shores, a compelling reason his research outcome should interest Nigeria’s policymakers. Many Nigerians, we know, are already contributing to the nation from the diaspora in their different fields. The Nigerian government encourages them to come home and contribute even more. No doubt, Lawal resides in a nation where his research outcomes stand a big chance of being noticed by the US government as well as the private sector and deployed for the solutions it potentially offers regarding an existential threat. But how many researchers like him stand a chance of having their research outcomes noticed or adopted in Nigeria?
It is a big question in a nation where animal production can benefit from research such as Lawal’s who envisions a broader application of his findings across the globe and for other monogastric species like poultry, another big business in Nigeria. Meanwhile, poultry presents a similar challenge of environmental pollution and inefficient nutrient utilisation. According to Lawal, by adapting and testing his strategies the growth of poultry too can potentially be improved while reducing environmental impact across multiple species as well. In fact, nations with intensive livestock production and environmental constraints could benefit from the solutions his research provides. With the increasing demand for sustainable agricultural practices, it becomes imperative that his research outcome is adapted across different production systems worldwide.
Source: Punch
