Energy return on energy invested (EROEI)
empirical model of an organic integrated
animal and vegetable farm in Kentucky
Matthew S. Deason, John R. Schramski, and Krista L. Jacobsen
International Society for BioPhysical Econoics (ISBPE)
University of D.C.
June 26-29, 2016
1
The Farm
•
•
•
•
•
375 acre farm in Scott County Kentucky
Generations of the same family
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
Certified Organic (USDA designation)
Integrated Farm
• Vegetables (wide variety)
• Eggs and Meat (Beef, Lamb, Turkey,
Chicken)
2
Farm Philosophy
•
•
•
•
•
Livestock and crop recycling of nutrients
10 year rotation of production and fallows
Humane nurture and care for livestock
Diversity in Product Offering
Serve the Community
“We use many conservation practices
to ensure better soil and water for future
generations . . .”
3
• Direct
• Human Labor
• Gasoline and Diesel
• Electricity
• LP Gas
• Indirect
• Associated with direct
inputs
• Feed and feed products
• Live animals
• Water
• Seed (vegetables,
grains, and grasses)
• Plastic products
• Fertilizer
• Egg cartons
• Pine shavings and
wheat straw
• Pesticides
• Gravel and agricultural
lime
• Equipment (Amortized)
• Vegetables
• Sweet Corn, Potatoes,
Sweet Potatoes, Beans,
and Broccoli
• Squash and Eggplant,
Root Vegetables, Herbs,
Tomatoes and Peppers,
Exotics (bok choy and
ginger), etc.
• Fruits (blackberries,
raspberries, strawberries,
watermelon, etc.)
• Processed (dried herbs,
salsa, ketchup, and
cornmeal)
• Meat (eggs, chicken, lamb,
turkey, beef)
• Tobacco
4
Input Coefficients
• Literature searches
• Combined estimates
• Actual conditions
representing the farm
Model Boundary
• Farm Gate
• Given this is a CSA,
Farm to household
energy very low
5
Vegetables, Fruits, and
Finished Products
• Weights taken prior to distribution
• USDA established values for kcals
• Monthly totals recorded
Eggs and Meat
•
•
•
•
Eggs were counted in dozens
Live weights were recorded prior to processing
Live weights were discounted
USDA kcal values to discounted weights
Species
Carcass %
Bone %
Total Discount
Source
(Carcass – Bone)
Beef
60 %
10%
50%
1
Lamb
50 %
7%
43%
1
Turkey
76.4%
-
76.4%
2
Hens
73.8%
-
73.8%
3
Broilers
74%
-
74%
2
1. Darre et al., 1991; Table 13
2. Darre et al., 1991; Table 14 (averaged male and female)
3. Darre et al., 1991; Table 14 (female)
6
Equipment
Motorized Equipment
• 24 individual pieces
• 10 pieces 12 years old or less
• 14 pieces older than 12 years
• Amortized 12 years when less than 12 years old
• Rest amortized by age of equipment
• 1970 Gleaner Combine
• 1966 Farmall 140
• 1963 Ford 500
Non-Motorized Equipment
• 38 individual Pieces
• 33 pieces amortized 20 years
• 5 pieces amortized 30 years
7
Model Results
Direct and Indirect
7.8 to 1.0
3,500
Direct only
2.8 to 1.0
3,500
3,286
3,000
3,000
2,500
2,500
2,000
2,000
1,500
1,500
1,176
1,000
1,000
500
422
500
422
-
Outputs
Outputs
Inputs
Values in GJ
Inputs
8
Accumulative Energy
Monthy Energy
3,500
600
25.0
3,000
500
20.0
2,500
400
15.0
GJ
GJ
2,000
300
1,500
10.0
200
1,000
5.0
100
500
-
-
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Total Output MJ
Jun
Jul
Aug
Total Input MJ
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
0.0
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Acc Output
Jun
Jul
Acc Input
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Ratio
9
90% of Input Energy
80% Output Energy
Total Output (135.1 t)
Total Input Energy
Beef (37.3%)(17.9 t)
Human Labor (28.5%)
Sweet Corn (9.7%)(11.3 t)
Machinery (15.9%)
Broilers (9.3%)(5.8 t)
Eggs (4.6%)(3.2 t)
Gasoline (11.6%)
Potatoes (4.3%)(5.5 t)
Diesel (11.0%)
Sweet Potatoes (4.1%)(3.8 t)
Beans (3.3%)(2.9 t)
Poultry Feed (8.3%)
Broccoli (2.6%)(2.9 t)
Electricity (8.3%)
Tomatoes (1.7%)(9.7 t)
Turkey (1.7%)(1.2 t)
LP Gas (5.9%)
-
500
1,000
Direct Energy
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
Yellow Squash (1.7%)(10.6 t)
Indirect Energy
-
Values in GJ
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
10
450
Input References
Input
Labor (Direct)
Reference
Cox and Atkins, 1979; Pimentel, 1984; Duhon, 1985; SFNB, 1989; Zhengfang, 1994;
Tharion et al., 2005; Smil, 2008; Schramski et al.; 2013
Notes
Labor (Indirect)
Schramski et al., 2013
Upstream energy used to supply the labor and to maintain
laborer’s physiology
Gasoline and Diesel (Direct)
US Department of Energy values for each fuel
http://www.afdc.energy.gov/fuels/fuel_properties.php
Gasoline and Diesel (Indirect)
Hall et al., 2014
Gravel and Ag Lime
Venkatarama Reddy and Jagadish, 2003
Local Quarry
Seed (all)
Fertilizer
Feed and Trace Minerals
Gliessman, 1998
Spångberg et al., 2011
Pelletier, 2008
“Local seed”
Roasted Soybeans
Shavings
Electricity
Pradhan et al., 2009 and manufacturing data from Dilts-Wetzel
M. dos Santos et al., 2015
WeiBback et al., 2013
Formula by probability of generation
Water
Pesticides
Paper Egg Cartons
Mo et al., 2010
Leach and Slesser, 1973 and Green, 1987
Manda et al., 2012
Kraft paper values
Plastic and Styrofoam
Lawson and Rudder, 1996
Wheat Straw
Live birds
Whole Corn
Machinery
Nilsson, 1997 (for production) and Eom et al., 2012 (for transportation)
Pelletier, 2008
Pelletier, 2008
Smil et al., 1983
Based on top five wheat producing states.
Amortization based on age
11
Conclusion
• Integrated animal/vegetable farms have lower EROEI
• 40:1 UKY CAS (Shramski et al., 2013)
• 40:1 or 20:1 for cattle (Pimentel and Pimentel,
2008) (32.6:1 or 16.3:1)
• Lime only soil amendment (local quarry)
• Low animal inputs
• Equipment (capital) energy investments very low
• Farm is building soil organic matter
• Studies needed
• Organic Certified pesticides
• Organic Fertilizer
12
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the care guidance of the team of authors working on this project. There
thoughtful direction has enriched the project’s outcomes.
I would like to thank the farm family involved in the project. Without there diligent collection of
data, this project would be impossible. I have the deepest respect for their honest stewardship.
I would like to acknowledge the special care Dr. John Schramski had taken with my education in
many things. He is one of my truest mentors.
Finally, I would like thank my family for the overwhelming support they always show. I’m blessed to
have such fans.
13
Cox, G.W., Atkins, M.D., 1979. Agricultural Ecology. San Francisco, Freeman.
Darre, M. J., S. A. Sulik, and D. M. Kinsman. 1991. Physiological Averages/Ranges. In Handbook
of Animal Science, 183-200. P. A. Putnam, ed. New York, NY: Academic Press, Inc.
Duhon, D., 1985. One Circle. Ecology Action, Willits, CA.
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: Alternate Fuels Data Center. U.S. Department of
Energy. Available at: http://www.afdc.energy.gov/fuels/fuel_properties.php.
Eom, J., L. Schipper, and L. Thompson. 2012. We keep on truckin': Trends in freight energy use
and carbon emissions in 11 IEA countries. Energy Policy 45:327-341.
Gliessman, S. R. 1998. Agroecology : ecological processes in sustainable agriculture. Chelsea,
MI, Ann Arbor Press.
Green, M., 1987. Energy in pesticide manufacture, distribution, and use. In: Helsel, Z.R. (Ed.),
Energy in Plant Nutrition and Pest Control. Elsevier, New York, pp. 165–196.
Hall, C. A. S., J. G. Lambert, and S. B. Balogh. 2014. EROI of different fuels and the implications
for society. Energy Policy 64:141-152.
Lawson, B., Rudder, D., 1996. Building Materials, Energy and the Environment: Towards
Ecologically Sustainable Development. Royal Australian Institute of Architects, Barton, pp.
135.
Leach, G., Slesser, M., 1973. Energy Equivalents of Network Inputs to Food Producing
Processes. University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, pp. 38.
Manda, B. M. K., K. Blok, and M. K. Patel. 2012. Innovations in papermaking: An LCA of printing
and writing paper from conventional and high yield pulp. Science of the Total Environment
439:307-320.
Mo, W., F. Nasiri, M. J. Eckelman, Q. Zhang, and J. B. Zimmerman. 2010. Measuring the
Embodied Energy in Drinking Water Supply Systems: A Case Study in The Great Lakes
Region. Environmental Science and Technology 44(24):9516-9521.
Nilsson, D. 1997. Energy, exergy and emergy analysis of using straw as fuel in district heating
plants. Biomass and Bioenergy 13(1–2):63-73.
Pelletier, N. 2008. Environmental performance in the US broiler poultry sector: Life cycle
energy use and greenhouse gas, ozone depleting, acidifying and eutrophying emissions.
Agricultural Systems 98(2):67-73.
Pimentel, D., 1984. Energy flow in agroecosystems. In: Lowrance, R., Stinner, B.R., House, G.J. (Eds.),
Agricultural Ecosystems: Unifying Concepts. Wiley, New York, NY, pp. 121–132.
Pimentel, D., and M. H. Pimentel. 2008. Food, Energy, and Society. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Pradhan, A., D. S. Shrestha, A. McAloon, W. Yee, M. Hass, J. A. Duffield, and H. Shapouri. 2009. Energy
Life-Cycle Assessment of Soybean Biodiesel. U. S. D. o. Agriculture, ed.
Schramski, J. R., K. L. Jacobsen, T. W. Smith, M. A. Williams, and T. M. Thompson. 2013. Energy as a
potential systems-level indicator of sustainability in organic agriculture: Case study model of a
diversified, organic vegetable production system. Ecological Modelling 267:102-114.
SFNB (Subcommittee of the Food and Nutrition Board), 1989. Recommended Dietary Allowances. 10th
ed. Commission on Life Sciences, National Research Council, National Academy of Science, National
Academy Press, Washington, DC.
Smil, V., 2008. Energy in Nature and Society: General Energetics of Complex Systems. MIT Press,
Cambridge, MA.
Smil, V., Nachman, P., Long, I.I.T.V., 1983. Technological changes and the energy cost of U.S. grain corn.
Energy in Agriculture 2, 177–192.
Spångberg, J., P. A. Hansson, P. Tidåker, and H. Jönsson. 2011. Environmental impact of meat meal
fertilizer vs. chemical fertilizer. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 55(11):1078-1086.
Tharion, W.J., Lieberma, H.R., Montain, S.J., Young, A.J., Baker-Fulco, C.J., DeLany, J.P., Hoyt, R.W.,
2005. Energy requirements of military personnel. Appetite 64, 47–65.
USDA database per URL:
https://reedir.arsnet.usda.gov/codesearchwebapp/(S(hcyeiz5v1jyddypyms40d5vq))/codesearch.as
px
USDA database per URL: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods
Venkatarama Reddy, B. V., and K. S. Jagadish. 2003. Embodied energy of common and alternative
building materials and technologies. Energy and Buildings 35(2):129-137.
Zhengfang, L., 1994. Energetic and ecological analysis of farming systems in Jiangsu Province, China. In:
Presented at the 10th International Conference of the International Federation of Organic
Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). 9–16 December 1994, Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand.
14