scholarly journals Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Knowledge and Positions of German Farmers

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 130
Author(s):  
Kerstin Jantke ◽  
Martina J. Hartmann ◽  
Livia Rasche ◽  
Benjamin Blanz ◽  
Uwe A. Schneider
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Sufficient Information ◽  
Ghg Emission ◽  
Personal Motivation ◽  
Further Development

Climate mitigation targets must involve the agricultural sector, which contributes 10%–14% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To evaluate options for implementing mitigation measures in the agricultural sector, farmers’ knowledge, positions, and attitudes towards agricultural GHG emissions, their accounting, and reduction need to be understood. Using an online survey, we asked 254 German farmers about their motivation to reduce GHG emissions and their acceptance of possible regulation schemes. We examined differences between relevant farming sectors, i.e., conventional versus organic and livestock keeping versus crop-cultivating farms. Results show that German farmers are aware of climatic changes and feel a general commitment to reducing GHG emissions but lack sufficient information. We identified agricultural magazines as the most effective tool for disseminating relevant knowledge. German farmers would feel motivated to adopt climate-friendly farming styles if products were labeled accordingly and if they received subsidies and public acknowledgment for their effort. As long as there is no regulation of agricultural GHGs through taxes or subsidies, personal motivation is yet the strongest motivation for voluntary emission reduction. Our findings are timely for the further development of strategies and instruments that reduce agricultural GHG emission and account for the farmers’ views. The dataset is available for further investigations.

scholarly journals Valorization Methodology for Agriculture Sector Climate Change Mitigation Measures

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 944-954
Author(s):  
Agita Gancone ◽  
Jelena Pubule ◽  
Dagnija Blumberga
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Eu Ets ◽  
Ghg Emission ◽  
Enteric Fermentation ◽  
Agriculture Sector ◽  
The Future ◽  
Smart Agriculture

Abstract Agriculture sector holds an essential role in Latvia’s economy and play significant role in keeping rural areas as a habitable environment (approximately 32 % of the population lives in rural areas). The agricultural sector is responsible for 28.5 % (2018) of total non-European Union Emissions Trading System (non – EU ETS) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Latvia. The largest part of emissions is related to agricultural soils (59.3 %) and enteric fermentation 32.6 % (mainly dairy and beef cattle). The GHG emissions trend of recent years shows a gradual and steady increase in GHG emissions for example between 2005 and 2018 +12.5 % and during the period 2013–2018 emissions increased by 2.12 %. According to Latvia’s National Energy and Climate Plan 2021–2030 (NECP), total GHG emissions in the agricultural sector are expected to increase in the period from 2020 to 2030, mainly in the enteric fermentation and agricultural soil categories. To achieve determined targets for Latvia’s non-EU ETS sector in 2030 and be on track to reach climate neutrality in 2050, the agricultural sector has to contribute to GHG emission mitigation. For the agricultural sector, improved food security and climate smart activities will be necessary to achieve GHG emission reduction. Existing policies and measures (WEM) as well as those which are included in the NECP as additional measures (WAM) were used to assess more suitable measures to move on climate smart agriculture (CSA), that could help to decrease GHG emissions at the farm and state level as well as is expected to contribute towards achieving the commitments in the plan. To achieve the aim of the study, a combination of the Delphi method together with multi-criteria analysis (MCA) is utilized to find a set of top GHG mitigation measures in the future. Results show that, in the future, the measure support the development of innovative technologies and solutions to promote resource efficiency in agriculture is essential to move on climate smart agriculture.

scholarly journals The cost of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions in farms in Central Andes of Ecuador

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. e0101
Author(s):  
Jhenny Cayambe ◽  
Ana Iglesias
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Nutrient Recycling ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Central Andes ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
The Cost

Aim of study: Reduction of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions derived from food production is imperative to meet climate change mitigation targets. Sustainable mitigation strategies also combine improvements in soil fertility and structure, nutrient recycling, and the use more efficient use of water. Many of these strategies are based on agricultural know-how, with proven benefits for farmers and the environment. This paper considers measures that could contribute to emissions reduction in subsistence farming systems and evaluation of management alternatives in the Central Andes of Ecuador. We focused on potato and milk production because they represent two primary employment and income sources in the region’s rural areas and are staple foods in Latin America.Area of study: Central Andes of Ecuador: Carchi, Chimborazo, Cañar provincesMaterial and methods: Our approach to explore the cost and the effectiveness of mitigation measures combines optimisation models with participatory methods.Main results: Results show the difference of mitigation costs between regions which should be taken into account when designing of any potential support given to farmers. They also show that there is a big mitigation potential from applying the studied measures which also lead to increased soil fertility and soil structure improvements due to the increased soil organic carbon.Research highlights: This study shows that marginal abatement cost curves derived for different agro-climatic regions are helpful tools for the development of realistic regional mitigation options for the agricultural sector.

Selection and prioritization of mitigation measures to realize climate neutral operation of a water cycle company

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Peter van der Hoek ◽  
Stefan Mol ◽  
Theo Janse ◽  
Enna Klaversma ◽  
Joost Kappelhof
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Emission Reduction ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Ghg Emission ◽  
The Public ◽  
Cumulative Cost ◽  
Total Investment

Waternet, the public water cycle utility of Amsterdam and surroundings, has the ambition to operate climate neutrally in 2020. This requires a reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 48 kton CO2-eq. An inventory was made of measures to realize the target either in 2020 or in 2050. For all measures the effects on GHG emissions and on costs were determined. To comply with two core values of Waternet – economic effectivity and sustainability – the measures were prioritized based on CO2 effectivity, defined as costs per ton GHG emission reduction. To realize the target in 2020, 34 measures have to be implemented. The total investments are € 60 million, while the measures result in a decrease in yearly costs of € 5 million from 2020 onwards. In the case where the target has to be realized in 2050, 10 measures have to be implemented with a total investment of € 100 million and a decrease in yearly costs of € 16 million from 2050 onwards. As the cumulative cost savings in 2050 are € 50 million higher for the case where the target is already reached in 2020, and the uncertainty is lower, the realization of the target in 2020 is preferred.

Long-term trends in the greenhouse gas emissions from the Canadian dairy industry

2008 ◽  
Vol 88 (5) ◽  
pp. 629-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
J A Dyer ◽  
X. P. C. Vergé ◽  
R L Desjardins ◽  
D. Worth
Keyword(s):  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Dairy Industry ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Simulation Models ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Index Approach ◽  
Semi Empirical

Estimates of the efficiency of mitigation measures on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the agricultural sector are required. In this paper, recently calculated dairy GHG emissions for 2001 were extrapolated back to 1981 for census years using an index. The index was verified by comparing it with estimates based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methodology for 1991. The index agreed with the IPCC estimates within 1% for methane and 4% for nitrous oxide on a national scale with no region having a difference of more than 5% for methane. For nitrous oxide, all regions were within 10%, except British Columbia, where the index was 19% too high. The index indicates that GHG emissions from primary milk production within the Canadian dairy industry have decreased by about 49% since 1981, mainly due to a 57% reduction in the dairy cow population during that period. The GHG emissions per kilogram of milk decreased by 35%, that is from 1.22 kg CO2eq kg-1 milk to 0.91 kg CO2eq kg-1 milk. Because this study took into account the energy-related CO2 emissions from all the major farm inputs (fertilizer and fossil fuel), there was little risk of hidden GHG emissions in the emission intensity calculation. This study demonstrates that where lack of input data restricts historical application of simulation models, a semi-empirical index approach can yield valuable results. Key words: Greenhouse gas, dairy industry, index, intensity indicator

scholarly journals Sub-soil irrigation does not lower greenhouse gas emission from drained peat meadows

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Theodorus Johannes Weideveld ◽  
Weier Liu ◽  
Merit van den Berg ◽  
Leon Peter Maria Lamers ◽  
Christian Fritz
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Ecosystem Respiration ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Co2 Fluxes ◽  
Ghg Emission ◽  
Soil Irrigation ◽  
Irrigation Drainage ◽  
And Control

Abstract. Current water management in drained peatlands to facilitate agricultural use, leads to soil subsidence and strongly increases greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. High-density, sub-soil irrigation/drainage systems have been proposed as a potential climate mitigation measure, while maintaining high biomass production. In summer, sub-soil irrigation can potentially reduce peat decomposition by preventing groundwater tables to drop below −60 cm. In 2017–2018, we evaluated the effects of sub-soil irrigation on GHG emissions (CO2, CH4, N2O) for four dairy farms on drained peat meadows in the Netherlands. Each farm had a treatment site with perforated pipes at 70 cm below soil level spacing 5–6 m to improve both drainage (winter- spring) and irrigation (summer) of the subsoil, and a control site drained only by ditches (ditch water level −60/−90 cm, 100 m distance between ditches). GHG emissions were measured using closed chambers (0.8 x 0.8 m) every 2–4 weeks. C inputs by manure and C export by grass yields were accounted for. Unexpectedly, sub-soil irrigation hardly affected ecosystem respiration (Reco) despite raising summer groundwater tables (GWT) by 6–18 cm, and even up to 50 cm during drought. Only when the groundwater table of sub-soil irrigation sites was substantially higher than the control value (> 20 cm), Reco was significantly lower (p<0.01), indicating a small effect of irrigation on C turnover. During wet conditions sub-soil pipes lowered water levels by 1–20 cm, without a significant effect on Reco. As a result, Reco differed little (>3 %) between sub-soil irrigation and control sites on an annual base. CO2 fluxes were high at all locations, exceeding 45 t CO2 ha−1a−1, even where peat was covered by clay (25–40 cm). Despite extended drought episodes and lower water levels in 2018, we found lower annual CO2 fluxes than in 2017 indicating drought stress for microbial respiration. Contrary to our expectation, there was no difference between the yearly greenhouse balance of the sub-soil irrigated (64 t CO2–eq ha−1yr−1 in 2017, 53 in 2018) and control sites (61 t CO2–eq ha−1 yr−1 in 2017, 51 in 2018). Emissions of N2O were lower (3 ± 1 t CO2–eq ha−1 yr−1) in 2017 than in 2018 (5 ± 2 t CO2–eq ha−1 yr−1), without treatment effects. The contribution of CH4 to the total GHG budget was negligible (<0.1 %), with lower GWT favoring CH4 oxidation over its production. Even during the 2018 drought, sub-soil irrigation had only little effect on yields (9.7 vs. 9.1 t DM ha−1yr−1), suggesting that increased GWT failed to increase plant water supply. This indicates that peat oxidation is hardly affected, probably because GWT increase only takes place in deeper soil layers (60–120 cm depth). We conclude that, although our field-scale experimental research revealed substantial differences in summer GWT and timing/intensity of irrigation and drainage, sub-soil irrigation fails to lower annual GHG emission and is unsuitable as a climate mitigation strategy. Future research should focus on potential effects of GWT manipulation in the uppermost organic layers (−30 cm and higher) on GHG emissions from drained peatlands.

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%.

Greenhouse gas budget of an extensively managed grassland on drained peat soil in the Irish Midlands

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marine Valmier ◽  
Matthew Saunders ◽  
Gary Lanigan
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Source ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Organic Soils ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Sink Strength ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Peat Soils ◽  
Sequestration Potential ◽  
Sink Capacity

&lt;p&gt;Grassland-based agriculture in Ireland contributes over one third of national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and the LULUCF sector is a net GHG source primarily due to the ongoing drainage of peat soils. Rewetting of peat-based organic soils is now recognised as an attractive climate mitigation strategy, but reducing emissions and restoring the carbon sequestration potential is challenging, and is not always feasible notably due to agricultural demands. Nonetheless, reducing carbon losses from drained organic soils has been identified as a key action for Ireland to reach its climate targets, and carbon storage associated with improved grassland management practices can provide a suitable strategy to offset GHG emissions without compromising productivity. However, research is still needed to assess the best practices and management options for optimum environmental and production outcomes. While grasslands have been widely studied internationally, data on organic soils under this land use are still scarce. In Ireland, despite their spatial extent and relevance to the national emission inventories and mitigation strategies, only two studies on GHG emissions from grasslands on peat soils have been published.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Here we present results from a grassland on a drained organic soil that is extensively managed for silage production in the Irish midlands. Continuous monitoring of Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) of carbon dioxide (CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;) using eddy covariance techniques, and weekly static chamber measurements to assess soil derived emissions of methane (CH&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt;) and nitrous oxide (N&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;O) started in 2020. The seasonal CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; fluxes observed were greatly dependent on weather conditions and management events. The grassland shifted from a carbon source at the beginning of the year to a sink during the growing season, with carbon uptakes in April and May ranging from 15 to 40 &amp;#181;mol CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; m&lt;sup&gt;-2&lt;/sup&gt; s&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; and releases in the order of 5 &amp;#181;mol CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; m&lt;sup&gt;-2&lt;/sup&gt; s&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;. Following the first harvest event in early June, approximately 2.5 t C ha&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; was exported, and the sink capacity took around one month to recover, with an average NEE of 10 &amp;#181;mol CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; m&lt;sup&gt;-2&lt;/sup&gt; s&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; during that period. Carbon uptake then reached a maximum of 25 &amp;#181;mol CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; m&lt;sup&gt;-2&lt;/sup&gt; s&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; in August. After the second cut in mid-September, which corresponded to an export of 2.25 t.ha&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; of carbon, the grassland acted once again as a strong carbon source, losing almost 30 g C m&lt;sup&gt;-2&lt;/sup&gt; in a month, before stabilising and behaving as an overall small source during the winter period.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In summary, this grassland demonstrated high rates of carbon assimilation and productivity that translate in a strong carbon sink capacity highly dependent on the management. The biomass harvest is a major component of the annual budget that has the potential to shift the system to a net carbon source. Moreover, while initial measurements of CH&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; and N&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;O fluxes appeared to be negligible, some management events were not assessed due to national COVID 19 restrictions on movement, which might have impacted the sink strength of the site studied.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Trade-offs between high yields and greenhouse gas emissions in irrigation wheat cropland in China

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2287-2294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. L. Cui ◽  
L. Wu ◽  
Y. L. Ye ◽  
W. Q. Ma ◽  
X. P. Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Grain Yield ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Ghg Emission ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
High Yields ◽  
Scientific Attention

Abstract. Although the concept of producing higher yields with reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is a goal that attracts increasing public and scientific attention, the trade-off between high yields and GHG emissions in intensive agricultural production is not well understood. Here, we hypothesize that there exists a mechanistic relationship between wheat grain yield and GHG emission, and that could be transformed into better agronomic management. A total 33 sites of on-farm experiments were investigated to evaluate the relationship between grain yield and GHG emissions using two systems (conventional practice, CP; high-yielding systems, HY) of intensive winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in China. Furthermore, we discussed the potential to produce higher yields with lower GHG emissions based on a survey of 2938 farmers. Compared to the CP system, grain yield was 39% (2352 kg ha−1) higher in the HY system, while GHG emissions increased by only 10%, and GHG emission intensity was reduced by 21%. The current intensive winter wheat system with farmers' practice had a median yield and maximum GHG emission rate of 6050 kg ha−1 and 4783 kg CO2 eq ha−1, respectively; however, this system can be transformed to maintain yields while reducing GHG emissions by 26% (6077 kg ha−1, and 3555 kg CO2 eq ha−1). Further, the HY system was found to increase grain yield by 39% with a simultaneous reduction in GHG emissions by 18% (8429 kg ha−1, and 3905 kg CO2 eq ha−1, respectively). In the future, we suggest moving the trade-off relationships and calculations from grain yield and GHG emissions to new measures of productivity and environmental protection using innovative management technologies.

scholarly journals Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Norwegian Agriculture: The Regional and Structural Dimension

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 2506
Author(s):  
Klaus Mittenzwei
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Regional Distribution ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Animal Production ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Agricultural Activity ◽  
Resource Base ◽  
Farm Structure

This paper studies the hypothesis that farm structure and the regional distribution of agricultural activity themselves have a significant impact on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture. Applying a dynamic model for the Norwegian agricultural sector covering the entire farm population, the model results support the hypothesis. Even without mitigation options, GHG emissions decline by 1.4 per cent if agriculture becomes regionally concentrated and increase by 1.5 per cent if a policy that favors a small-scale farm structure is put in place. Adding a carbon tax to a policy that leads to regional concentration, may help to reconcile competing policy objectives. A switch from animal production to crop production, and an extensification of animal production keeps a large resource base across the country while cutting GHG emissions.

scholarly journals Greenhouse gas inventory of agriculture in the Czech Republic

2009 ◽  
Vol 55 (No. 8) ◽  
pp. 311-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Exnerová ◽  
E. Cienciala
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽  
Enteric Fermentation ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
The Czech Republic

As a part of its obligations under the Climate Convention, the Czech Republic must annually estimate and report its anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases. This also applies for the sector of agriculture, which is one of the greatest producers of methane and nitrous oxide emissions. This paper presents the approaches applied to estimate emissions in agricultural sector during the period 1990–2006. It describes the origin and sources of emissions, applied methodology, parameters and emission estimates for the sector of agriculture in the country. The total greenhouse gas emissions reached 7644 Gg CO<sub>2</sub> eq. in 2006. About 59% (4479 Gg CO<sub>2</sub> eq.) of these emissions has originated from agricultural soils. This quantity ranks agriculture as the third largest sector in the Czech Republic representing 5.3% of the total greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). The emissions under the Czech conditions consist mainly of emissions from enteric fermentation, manure management and agricultural soils. During the period 1990–2006, GHG emissions from agriculture decreased by 50%, which was linked to reduced cattle population and amount of applied fertilizers. The study concludes that the GHG emissions in the sector of agriculture remain significant and their proper assessment is required for sound climate change adaptation and mitigation policies.

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