Elfe. Une base de données pour caractériser les émissions gazeuses

In France, 70% of ammonia and 18% of greenhouse gas (GHG) originate from the livestock sector. Thus, improving knowledge on the magnitude and origin of gaseous emissions is essential to reduce them, and then meet societal requirements and setup regulations at national and European levels. A consortium involving research (Inra, Irstea) and technical development (Ifip, Itavi, Idele, CRAB, Terres Innovia, Arvalis) was created to implement a robust database (ELFE) gathering (inter)national literature references on gaseous emissions of poultry, pork, herbivore productions and related indicators. With the help of the database ELFE, we aim to determine emission factors (EF) for NH3, GHG, particles and odors in various technical itineraries integrating the different steps of animal and manure management (i.e. building, manure storage and treatment, spreading and pasture). Building the structure of the database was the first step of this project financed by the French Agency of the Environment and the Control of Energy (ADEME). Further on, national and international literature data were integrated into the database. At the moment, around 1,000 publications are recorded, essentially focusing on NH3 and GHG emissions. The next steps concentrate on data analysis to determine average EF’s per itinerary and EF-variability due to metadata (i.e. animal type, climate, diet, duration, storage type...). Outcomes will be published in scientific journals but also made available for stakeholders as guidance documents (i.e. fact sheets, technical reports). The purpose of these documents is to advise agricultural consultants and authorities on ways of reducing emissions and improving air quality in livestock production systems.