Livestock and Renewable Energy

This analytical report assesses existing synergies between livestock and the renewable energy sector. It considers the potential benefits that could arise from the interaction of these sectors in areas  such as mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, environmental preservation (soil restoration), and availability of clean, affordable and reliable energy sources (for example biogas). It outlines livestock’s potential as a renewable energy source, through the use of cost-effective technologies such as biogas systems that can stem methane emissions from livestock manure by recovering the gas and using it as an energy source in alternative to wood/charcoal or fossil fuel. It also explores the climate change scenario, considers viable applications of Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) addressed for small-scale farmers and livestock keepers at different levels of the value chain and examines how this can provide multifunctional benefits for households, community and the environment.