scholarly journals More sustainable vegetable oil: balancing productivity with carbon storage opportunities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas David Alcock ◽  
David E Salt ◽  
Paul Wilson ◽  
Stephen J Ramsden
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Storage ◽  
Vegetable Oil ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Oil Production ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Land Occupation ◽  
Production Stages ◽  
Storage Potential

Intensive cultivation and post-harvest vegetable oil production stages are major sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Variation between production systems and reporting disparity have resulted in discordance in previous emissions estimates. To assess systems-wide GHG implications of meeting increasing edible oil demand, we performed a unified re-analysis of life cycle input data from diverse oil palm, soybean, rapeseed, and sunflower production systems, from a saturating search of published literature. The resulting dataset reflects almost 6,000 producers in 38 countries, and is representative of over 74% of global vegetable oil production. Determination of the carbon cost of agricultural land occupation revealed that carbon storage potential drives variation in production GHG emissions, and indicates that expansion of production in low carbon storage potential land, whilst reforesting areas of high carbon storage potential, could reduce net GHG emissions whilst boosting productivity. Nevertheless, there remains considerable scope to improve sustainability within current production systems.

Resource use and environmental impacts from Australian export lamb production: a life cycle assessment

2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (7) ◽  
pp. 1070 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. G. Wiedemann ◽  
M.-J. Yan ◽  
C. M. Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Fresh Water ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Land Occupation ◽  
Fossil Fuel Energy

This study conducted a life cycle assessment (LCA) investigating energy, land occupation, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, fresh water consumption and stress-weighted water use from production of export lamb in the major production regions of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. The study used data from regional datasets and case study farms, and applied new methods for assessing water use using detailed farm water balances and water stress weighting. Land occupation was assessed with reference to the proportion of arable and non-arable land and allocation of liveweight (LW) and greasy wool was handled using a protein mass method. Fossil fuel energy demand ranged from 2.5 to 7.0 MJ/kg LW, fresh water consumption from 58.1 to 238.9 L/kg LW, stress-weighted water use from 2.9 to 137.8 L H2O-e/kg LW and crop land occupation from 0.2 to 2.0 m2/kg LW. Fossil fuel energy demand was dominated by on-farm energy demand, and differed between regions and datasets in response to production intensity and the use of purchased inputs such as fertiliser. Regional fresh water consumption was dominated by irrigation water use and losses from farm water supply, with smaller contributions from livestock drinking water. GHG emissions ranged from 6.1 to 7.3 kg CO2-e/kg LW and additional removals or emissions from land use (due to cultivation and fertilisation) and direct land-use change (due to deforestation over previous 20 years) were found to be modest, contributing between –1.6 and 0.3 kg CO2-e/kg LW for different scenarios assessing soil carbon flux. Excluding land use and direct land-use change, enteric CH4 contributed 83–89% of emissions, suggesting that emissions intensity can be reduced by focussing on flock production efficiency. Resource use and emissions were similar for export lamb production in the major production states of Australia, and GHG emissions were similar to other major global lamb producers. The results show impacts from lamb production on competitive resources to be low, as lamb production systems predominantly utilised non-arable land unsuited to alternative food production systems that rely on crop production, and water from regions with low water stress.

scholarly journals Intensification pathways for beef and dairy cattle production systems: Impacts on GHG emissions, land occupation and land use change

2017 ◽  
Vol 240 ◽  
pp. 135-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah J. Gerssen-Gondelach ◽  
Rachel B.G. Lauwerijssen ◽  
Petr Havlík ◽  
Mario Herrero ◽  
Hugo Valin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Cattle Production ◽  
Land Occupation

scholarly journals Farmed Mussels: A Nutritive Protein Source, Rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids, with a Low Environmental Footprint

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1124
Author(s):  
Elham Yaghubi ◽  
Stefano Carboni ◽  
Rhiannon M. J. Snipe ◽  
Christopher S. Shaw ◽  
Jackson J. Fyfe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Partial Solution ◽  
Animal Protein ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Omega 3 Fatty Acids ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Omega 3

The world’s ever-growing population presents a major challenge in providing sustainable food options and in reducing pressures on the Earth’s agricultural land and freshwater resources. Current estimates suggest that agriculture contributes ~30% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Additionally, there is an increased demand for animal protein, the production of which is particularly polluting. Therefore, the climate-disrupting potential of feeding the planet is likely to substantially worsen in the future. Due to the nutritional value of animal-based protein, it is not a simple solution to recommend a wholesale reduction in production/consumption of animal proteins. Rather, employing strategies which result in the production of low carbon animal protein may be part of the solution to reduce the GHGs associated with our diets without compromising diet quality. We suggest that farmed mussels may present a partial solution to this dilemma. Mussel production has a relatively low GHG production and does not put undue pressure on land or fresh water supplies. By drawing comparisons to other protein sources using the Australian Food and Nutrient Database and other published data, we demonstrate that they are a sustainable source of high-quality protein, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, phytosterols, and other key micronutrients such as B-12 and iron. The aim of this review is to summarise the current knowledge on the health benefits and potential risks of increasing the consumption of farmed mussels.

scholarly journals A harmonised systems-wide re-analysis of greenhouse gas emissions from sunflower oil production

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas D Alcock ◽  
David E Salt ◽  
Stephen J Ramsden
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Sunflower Oil ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Oil Production ◽  
Life Cycle Inventory Data ◽  
Oil Crops ◽  
Fertiliser Use ◽  
Global Food

AbstractSunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is the largest source of vegetable oil in Europe and the fourth largest globally. Intensive cultivation and post-harvest steps contribute to global food-systems’ greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, variation between production systems and reporting disparity have resulted in discordance in previous emissions estimates. To assess systems-wide GHG implications of meeting increasing edible oil demand using sunflower, we performed a unified re-analysis of primary life cycle inventory data, representing 995 farms in 11 countries, from a saturating search of published literature. Total GHG emissions varied from 1.1 to 4.2 kg CO2-equivalent per kg oil across systems, 62% of which originated from cultivation. Major emissions sources included diesel- and fertiliser-use, with irrigation electricity contributing most to between-systems variation. Our harmonised, cross-study re-analysis not only enabled robust comparisons and identification of mitigation opportunities across sunflower oil production systems, but also lays the groundwork for comparisons between alternative oil crops.

Impact of Farm Management Practices and Agricultural Land Use on Soil Organic Carbon Storage Potential in the Savannah Ecological Zone of Northern Ghana

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 484-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Boakye-Danquah ◽  
◽  
Effah Kwabena Antwi ◽  
Osamu Saito ◽  
Mark Kofi Abekoe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Carbon Storage ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Farm Management ◽  
Northern Ghana ◽  
Storage Potential ◽  
Landscape Level

In recent times, there has been increasing interest in the importance of agricultural soils as global carbon sinks, and the opportunity of enhancing the resilience of degraded agroecosystems – particularly in savannah regions of the world. However, this opportunity is largely a function of land use and/or land management choices, which differ between and within regions. In the present study, we investigated the role of agriculture land use and farm management practices on soil organic carbon (SOC) storage in the savannah regions of northern Ghana. We evaluated selected land use types by using an integrated approach, involving on-farm interviews, community transect walks, land use monitoring, and soil sampling. Our results indicated that, at the landscape level, community land use and resource needs are important determinants of SOC storage in farmlands. We determined low SOC accumulation across the investigated landscape; however, the relatively high SOC stock in protected lands compared with croplands implies the potential for increasing SOC build-up by using recommended management practices. Low incomes, constraints to fertilizer use, low biomass availability, and reductions in fallow periods remain as barriers to SOC buildup. In this context, global soil carbon storage potential and smallholder food production systems will benefit from an ecosystembased adaptation strategy that prioritizes building a portfolio of carbon stores at the landscape level.

scholarly journals Carbon stock potential on various land covers in heath forest in Liang Anggang, South Kalimantan

Jurnal Galam ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 61-78
Author(s):  
Muhammad Abdul Qirom ◽  
◽  
Tri Ani Mindawati ◽  
Kissinger Kissinger ◽  
Abdhi Fithria ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Carbon Storage ◽  
Carbon Stock ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Peat Soil ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Barren Land ◽  
Storage Potential ◽  
Heath Forest

Heath forest serves as a large carbon and water storage. This study aims to obtain information on carbon storage potential of each carbon component in heat forest in Liang Anggang Protection Forest. Data collection was carried out on six types of land cover, namely: agricultural land, barren land/settlement, scrub, peat soil, and forest. The carbon components were measured such as trees, undergrowth, litter, necromass, and soil. Measurement plots were established with size of 40 x 100 m for trees and necromasses > 30 cm in size, and sub-plots measuring 5 x 40 m for trees with a diameter of 5–30 cm as many as 5 plots for each type of land cover. The understorey and litter components used a plot with size of 0.5 x 0.5 m. In tree pools, carbon stock was determined by indirect measured with alometric model, while the other was used by direct measurenment. The results showed that carbon in the soil contributed the largest potential carbon storage (> 95%) of the total carbon storage in all land cover types. The pattern of the proportion of carbon storage in this forest type was similar to the peat swamp forest type. On heat forest, carbon stock potential on scrub was 318.8 Mg/Ha and the potential of heat forest type was the lowest (256.8 Mg/Ha ). In total, the average carbon storage potential was 285.01 ± 48.78 Mg/Ha. The carbon storage at this location reached 2.99 x 105 tons of carbon, or equivalent to carbon absorption of 1,10 X 106 CO2 e ton CO2e. The large amount of carbon storage in heath forest in the study area has the potential to support diversification and optimization of land use through a carbon trading scheme. Key words: trade, agriculture, proportion, scheme, soil

scholarly journals The Role of Small Woody Landscape Features and Agroforestry Systems for National Carbon Budgeting in Germany

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1028
Author(s):  
Karolina Golicz ◽  
Gohar Ghazaryan ◽  
Wiebke Niether ◽  
Ariani C. Wartenberg ◽  
Lutz Breuer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Industrialized Countries ◽  
Landscape Features ◽  
C Stock

The intensification of food production systems has resulted in landscape simplification, with trees and hedges disappearing from agricultural land, principally in industrialized countries. However, more recently, the potential of agroforestry systems and small woody landscape features (SWFs), e.g., hedgerows, woodlots, and scattered groups of trees, to sequester carbon was highlighted as one of the strategies to combat global climate change. Our study was aimed to assess the extent of SWFs embedded within agricultural landscapes in Germany, estimate their carbon stocks, and investigate the potential for increasing agroforestry cover to offset agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We analyzed open-source geospatial datasets and identified over 900,000 hectares of SWFs on agricultural land, equivalent to 4.6% of the total farmland. The carbon storage of SWFs was estimated at 111 ± 52 SD teragrams of carbon (Tg C), which was previously unaccounted for in GHG inventories and could play a role in mitigating the emissions. Furthermore, we found cropland to have the lowest SWF density and thus the highest potential to benefit from the implementation of agroforestry, which could sequester between 0.2 and 2 Tg of carbon per year. Our study highlights that country-specific data are urgently needed to refine C stock estimates, improve GHG inventories and inform the large-scale implementation of agroforestry in Germany.

Evidence from chronosequence studies for a low carbon-storage potential of soils

Nature ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 348 (6298) ◽  
pp. 232-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
William H. Schlesinger
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Storage ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Storage Potential

Costs and Benefits of the Transition to Low-carbon Economyin Russia: Perspectives up to 2050

2014 ◽  
pp. 70-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Bashmakov ◽  
A. Myshak
Keyword(s):  
Emission Reduction ◽  
High Probability ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Ghg Emission ◽  
Research Groups ◽  
Emissions Mitigation ◽  
Very High

This paper investigates costs and benefits associated with low-carbon economic development pathways realization to the mid XXI century. 30 scenarios covering practically all “visions of the future” were developed by several research groups based on scenario assumptions agreed upon in advance. It is shown that with a very high probability Russian energy-related GHG emissions will reach the peak before 2050, which will be at least 11% below the 1990 emission level. The height of the peak depends on portfolio of GHG emissions mitigation measures. Efforts to keep 2050 GHG emissions 25-30% below the 1990 level bring no GDP losses. GDP impact of deep GHG emission reduction - by 50% of the 1990 level - varies from plus 4% to minus 9%. Finally, very deep GHG emission reduction - by 80% - may bring GDP losses of over 10%.

scholarly journals Legumes increase grassland productivity with no effect on nitrous oxide emissions

2019 ◽  
Vol 446 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 163-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arlete S. Barneze ◽  
Jeanette Whitaker ◽  
Niall P. McNamara ◽  
Nicholas J. Ostle
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
N Uptake ◽  
Relative Proportion ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
Grassland Productivity

Abstract Aims Grasslands are important agricultural production systems, where ecosystem functioning is affected by land management practices. Grass-legume mixtures are commonly cultivated to increase grassland productivity while reducing the need for nitrogen (N) fertiliser. However, little is known about the effect of this increase in productivity on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in grass-legume mixtures. The aim of this study was to investigate interactions between the proportion of legumes in grass-legume mixtures and N-fertiliser addition on productivity and GHG emissions. We tested the hypotheses that an increase in the relative proportion of legumes would increase plant productivity and decrease GHG emissions, and the magnitude of these effects would be reduced by N-fertiliser addition. Methods This was tested in a controlled environment mesocosm experiment with one grass and one legume species grown in mixtures in different proportions, with or without N-fertiliser. The effects on N cycling processes were assessed by measurement of above- and below-ground biomass, shoot N uptake, soil physico-chemical properties and GHG emissions. Results Above-ground productivity and shoot N uptake were greater in legume-grass mixtures compared to grass or legume monocultures, in fertilised and unfertilised soils. However, we found no effect of legume proportion on N2O emissions, total soil N or mineral-N in fertilised or unfertilised soils. Conclusions This study shows that the inclusion of legumes in grass-legume mixtures positively affected productivity, however N cycle were in the short-term unaffected and mainly affected by nitrogen fertilisation. Legumes can be used in grassland management strategies to mitigate climate change by reducing crop demand for N-fertilisers.

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