Calculating the carbon footprint for the University of Georgia swine and dairy farms using selected models

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions can create environmental problems. The University of Georgia (UGA) committed to reduce its GHG emissions by 20% by 2020 and established a long-term goal of carbon neutrality by 2060. The objective of our study was to find appropriate models for estimating the carbon footprint for the UGA swine and dairy farms. While easy to use, the current process model does not include many management options that could influence the carbon footprint calculations significantly. In this study, the carbon footprint estimation from a suite of models for the UGA swine and dairy farm were compared with each other. Management options to reduce the carbon footprint were investigated using selected models to analyze some of the changes each farm could make to reduce its carbon footprint in the future.