Resource information
Prepared by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, this in-depth report seeks to shed light on the climate mitigation potential of agriculture. It argues that with an increasing demand for food, global agriculture will soon become the dominant area of greenhouse emissions, with the two main sources being nitrous oxide from the soil and methane from animal farming (of particular concern as developing countries convert increasingly to a high-protein, 'western', diet). The scientific case for the significance of agricultural emissions is presented in parts one to six of the report. As well as presenting data detailing agriculture's share of total global emissions, it breaks down emissions region-by-region and within agricultural sub-sectors. Carbon sequestration is discussed, including information on soil types, fertilizers, and crop selection and management. Current regional trends in agriculture and mitigation, such as the general decline in agricultural emissions in the developing world, are provided within the context of global trends that indicate dangerous increases in nitrous oxides and methane in the coming decades. With such significant emissions, agriculture represents a huge opportunity for mitigation strategies; as such the authors argue that nothing less than a new climate-friendly agricultural paradigm is needed. The core principles of such a new paradigm must:
account for trade-offs and synergies and adopt a systematic approach
look beyond mitigation, i.e. adaptation and food-security
be aware of and prepare for uncertainties and knowledge gaps
include strategies targeting consumption and wastage before making extensive policy recommendations of their own.
Amongst the areas covered are the potential use of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in mitigation, the effect of climate change on rice production and the need for tight monitoring of bio-fuel production in Brazil. Policy recommendations are extensive and cover all the research areas presented throughout the report, including specific policy recommendations for the UN, the EU, Brazil and Indonesia. They cover the five primary goals identified through the research:
increase soil carbon
realise closed nutrient cycles
change consumption and waste patterns
improve scientific knowledge of nitrous oxide dynamics
develop optimal assessment methods.
