Distribution of Gaseous Emissions from Cattle Housing at Regional Level

Agriculture is a source of environmental impacts due to release of harmful gases on air. Among the main livestock sectors, cattle is the most impactful due to the production of ammonia and greenhouse gases (GHGs), such as methane. The first action to control and reduce the impacts on the environment is represented by emission monitoring, according to the Agenda 2030 and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). On this basis, the aim of this research study was to evaluate the distribution of gaseous emissions at regional level from cattle sector in Italy. Data related to the consistency of cattle housing were acquired and represented in a Geographical Information System (GIS). By the combination of GIS tools and the use of Tier 1 method, presented in the guidelines of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the results showed the impacts from cattle sector, at a territorial level, by estimating the quantity of emissions and identifying the area with the highest impacts through the production of thematic maps. Results from this study provided basic information useful for policy makers and territorial planners to improve the formulation of policies and plans to reduce and mitigate the impacts from livestock sector.