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<p>Smallholder dairy farmers in developing countries who use conventional manure management practices and rely on traditional energy sources cause considerable environmental damage. Dairy cattle manure, if poorly managed, produces greenhouse gases and air pollutants and contaminates nutrients, affecting human health and environmental sustainability. This study investigates how much better anaerobic digestion, a resource recovery technology that converts manure into biogas and digestate, is for the environment than conventional practices. Using life cycle assessment, this study analyzed two scenarios on smallholder farms across four districts of Eswatini, southern Africa. Scenario 1 was conventional practices, where the farmers store manure, use firewood and kerosene for fuel, and apply synthetic fertilizer. Scenario 2 replaced those practices with the&#xa0;anaerobic digestion of manure. This study found that anaerobic digestion reduced environmental impacts by approximately 60 to 94% across impact categories. This process yielded substantial reductions in global warming potential (60%), acidification potential (71%), and eutrophication potential (79%); however, the most pronounced improvements occurred in human toxicity and photochemical ozone formation potentials, both of which reduced by &gt; 90%. In highlighting the substantial environmental benefits of adopting anaerobic digestion technology, the study provides guidance for smallholder farmers and for policymakers aiming to promote sustainable agricultural practices and circular bioeconomies in developing countries.</p> Graphic abstract <p></p>

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Assessing the environmental impacts of anaerobic digestion for dairy manure resource recovery in smallholder farms of Eswatini

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月14日

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  • Amsalu Tolessa,
  • Jan C. Greyling,
  • Neill J. Goosen

摘要

Smallholder dairy farmers in developing countries who use conventional manure management practices and rely on traditional energy sources cause considerable environmental damage. Dairy cattle manure, if poorly managed, produces greenhouse gases and air pollutants and contaminates nutrients, affecting human health and environmental sustainability. This study investigates how much better anaerobic digestion, a resource recovery technology that converts manure into biogas and digestate, is for the environment than conventional practices. Using life cycle assessment, this study analyzed two scenarios on smallholder farms across four districts of Eswatini, southern Africa. Scenario 1 was conventional practices, where the farmers store manure, use firewood and kerosene for fuel, and apply synthetic fertilizer. Scenario 2 replaced those practices with the anaerobic digestion of manure. This study found that anaerobic digestion reduced environmental impacts by approximately 60 to 94% across impact categories. This process yielded substantial reductions in global warming potential (60%), acidification potential (71%), and eutrophication potential (79%); however, the most pronounced improvements occurred in human toxicity and photochemical ozone formation potentials, both of which reduced by > 90%. In highlighting the substantial environmental benefits of adopting anaerobic digestion technology, the study provides guidance for smallholder farmers and for policymakers aiming to promote sustainable agricultural practices and circular bioeconomies in developing countries.

Graphic abstract