Adjusting Agricultural Emissions During Climate Crisis
Food systems are a major driver of climate change, emitting 21–37% of Global greenhouse gases (GHG).
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in food systems is becoming more challenging as food is increasingly consumed away from producer regions, highlighting the need to consider emissions embodied in trade in agricultural emissions accounting.
Farms emitted 6 billion tonnes of GHGs in 2011, or about 13 percent of total global emissions.
A report by researchers from Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research have published a new report elaborating the agricultural emissions and how important is to curb them.
That makes the agricultural sector the world’s second-largest emitter, after the energy sector (which includes emissions from power generation and transport).
Most farm-related emissions come in the form of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O).
Cattle belching (CH4) and the addition of natural or synthetic fertilizers and wastes to soils (N2O) represent the largest sources, making up 65 percent of agricultural emissions globally.
Smaller sources include manure management, rice cultivation, field burning of crop residues, and fuel use on farms.
At the farm level, the relative size of different sources will vary widely depending on the type of products grown, farming practices employed, and natural factors such as weather, topography, and hydrology.
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