Agricultural Management

The Problem

The agricultural sector of the global economy employs 40.2% of the world’s labour force. This percentage is even higher in most of the developing world. 37% of the land mass of the world is being used for agricultural purposes. Today more than 13% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, including approximately 47% of today’s anthropogenic methane emissions and approximately 84% of today’s anthropogenic nitrous oxide emissions, are due to agricultural practices. Agricultural practices have also led to widespread deforestation, which has affected natural carbon sequestration. (Carbon sequestration refers to the process whereby carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere.) Agricultural practices that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions include croplands soil emission, rice farming techniques, enteric fermentation, manure emission and carbon emissions from agricultural consumption of fossil fuels.

It may seem self-evident that agricultural practices negatively impact the delicate balance of our environment. Suprisingly, awareness regarding greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sectorarose only recently. Therefore, measures to mitigate or reduce the effects of this sector on global warming have been only recently conceived and seriously considered.

Moving towards Solutions

In spite of this being a relatively new field, the potential for reducing agriculture stands at 5500-6000 megatons of CO2-equivalent of greenhouse gas reduction per year by the year 2030. To put this figure into perspective, it compares to… Are you going to fix the previous sentence? It remains incomplete.Improving agricultural management with respect to mitigation of greenhouse gases, involves the implementation of practices that aim to make the land more able to sequester carbon dioxide and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Improved agricultural management includes practices such as better cropland and grazing-land management, restoration of degraded lands and cultivated organic soils, livestock management, manure management and agroforestry.

Much of the contemporary scientific communitybelieves that mitigation in the agricultural sector is a very challenging process. Additionally, some scientists believe that in comparison to other more achievable mitigation projects such as harvesting wind energy or solar energy, improved agricultural management is much less worth the effort and investment. On the other hand, others believe that improved agricultural management can increase the land’s ability to sequester carbon and therefore offset other emissions from the sector significantly. This paragraph is a bit confusing. The phrases "additionally" and "on the other hand" make your point a bit hard to follow. Both sides agree with mitigation, correct?

Therefore it is worth trying to better understand the different methods of responsible agricultural management and their positive impact on reducing greenhouse and improving sequestration. Secondly, one must be aware of the different social levels at which change must be implemented. Thirdly, one must be also aware of the various economic, socio-cultural and political opportunities and risks that arise from agricultural mitigation practices. And lastly, a study of agricultural management and its mitigation potential is incomplete without keeping in mind the differences in how the solutions should be approached in the developed and the developing world.

Solutions: the different methods of agricultural management

NOTE: The potential success of mitigation efforts depends highly upon local factors and thus may succeed better in some regions and not as well in others due to differences in the climate, soil type and the current farming practices. Secondly, the majority of the total mitigation potential from the agricultural sector is from increasing sequestration. This is achieved by the enhancement of carbon sinks. A smaller percentage of the mitigation potential comes from the actual reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Below are options with the aim of mitigating the impact of greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector:

Improved Cropland Management

The main emission from croplands, and the most significant contributor of emissions in the agricultural sector is Nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide (N20) is naturally emitted through the processes of nitrification and denitrification of the soil. Nitrogen-based fertilizers also can contribute to an increase in emissions. Since all the content of the fertilizer may not be consumed by the crop, it is thus emitted into the atmosphere. The manner in which the soil is tilled, irrigated and drained also has an impact on the emissions of N20 as well as soil carbon (explain) and fossil fuel carbon dioxide emission. Options for mitigation include the use of more efficient nitrogen-based fertilizers or switching over to other non-emitting fertilizers. It also includes improved tillage and residue management (for example the no-tillage cultivation practices in Europe* find example) and improved water management. These measures are scientifically proven to help the soil retain its nitrogen, carbon and fossil fuel carbon dioxide content without emitting it into the atmosphere. Such practices also improve the quality of the soil in such a manner that it may begin to sequester carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere, under the right conditions.*

Livestock Management

The livestock kept by the agricultural sector play a large role in the emissions of methane. Methane is naturally produced by microbes in the enteric system of ruminant animals like cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats and camels during digestion by the process of fermentation. The methane may be exhaled or eructated by livestock. Mitigation in this sector can be performed by the adoption of various approaches. Firstly, the quality of the feed for the livestock may be improved with the aim of reducing its ability to ferment and produce methane. Secondly, employing the use of biological technology will reduce the livestock’s enteric system’s ability to emit methane. Thirdly, by increasing the livestock’s per unit output of agricultural products (milk, meat and work), the requirement for livestock will numerically grow slower than previously expected. Hence, the total methane emissions would be reduced at a national level.

Livestock Manure Management

Manure from livestock produces both methane and nitrous oxide. Methane is produced due to anaerobic decomposition of the manure and nitrous oxide from the nitrification and denitrification of the nitrogen-content of the manure and urine of livestock. The extent of the production of these two compounds depends on factors such as the manner in which the manure is stored or treated, composition of the diet of the livestock and the health of the livestock.**** The most effective manner to manage agricultural manure is the use of an anaerobic digester. Some of these digesters are already in use to improve the sanitary conditions at farms as well as control the odor. Digesters are useful in capturing the methane emitted by manure.

Rice-Farming Management

Rice is mostly grown in flooded paddy fields throughout most of the world and especially in Asia (90% of rice growth)*. Once the oxygen content of the soil and the floodwater depletes due to aerobic decomposition, anaerobic decomposition begins and methane is produced. Methane production in rice farms can be reduced through better water management so as to maintain oxygen supply in the water. Also, special fertilizers may be used which prevent the anaerobic process from occurring. Lastly, farmers may give up the flooded paddy method of growing rice and switch to upland farming of rice which does not use as much water and thus anaerobic respiration is negligible.

Other solutions Are you going to add other solutions? I like the ones you have now; good job with your organization and with your succinctness.

The Scales of Change: the different social levels at which change must be implemented

The Individual

The most important contributor to the agriculture sector is the unit of the individual and his family. The farmer forms the backbone of the agricultural sector. The farmer may provide agricultural products for his own family, a subsistence local economy or for distribution in commercial markets. The farmer may own his own small plot of land or may co-own large plots of cash crops. He may also just be a landless laborer in a farm. Thus there is a broad spectrum regarding the varying levels of participation of the individual in the agricultural sector around the world. It is important to note that no matter what the influence of the State may be, it is most often the individual’s choice to implement reforms in agricultural practices so as to minimize emissions and maximize sequestration potential. Thus, at the end of the day it is the individual who will carry forward the change towards emissions-responsible agricultural management. This change may involve a change in the traditional manner in which these individuals run their farms. Farmers may also need to make investments into the new technology. Hence, they require incentive to carry out such changes. Knowledge regarding the urgency of the climate crisis and the impact of irresponsible agricultural practices on the environment can be one incentive to switch over to more responsible practices on an individual level.

The Local Community

Such incentive can also come from the local community in which an individual lives. One farmer can see his neighbours changing practices in order to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and therefore may be pressurized into making such changes himself. The climate change crisis can have an immense impact on the agricultural sector as well. For example, a 2°C increase in temperature due to global warming can cause the wheat yields in northern India to reduce by 28% to 68% (if the carbon fertilizer effect is not considered in the predictions.) Hence, community-based awareness regarding climate change issues can motivate the local community to act.

The Regional and National Government

Government policy can aid the adoption of more responsible agricultural practices. Governments can help to ensure the availability of new technology which can aid the adoption of improved agricultural practices. These could include the installing better drainage systems for rice cultivators, no-tillage technology, non-emitting fertilizers, biological technology and high-quality feed for livestock management and anaerobic digesters. Subsidies on this new technology could help the common man purchase the necessary technology for the improvement of his agricultural practices. The Government can also educate the public through educational institutions and the media regarding the benefits of implementing responsible agricultural practices. At an international level, Governments can cooperate and eliminate or reduce trade tariffs for goods which would aid responsible agricultural management. Countries may also share knowledge and resources in order to optimize responsible agricultural practices. They may also get together and set a standard for agricultural practices worldwide and thereby pressure other government to meet those standards.

Emissions, Regions and Growing Challenges

Increases in this sector’s greenhouse gas emissions are expected along the current upward trend as there is a continuously increasing demand for diverse agricultural products. Additionally, 74% of total agricultural emissions come from 5 groups of mainly non-Annex I countries (as stipulated by the Kyoto Protocol). These countries are predominantly developing countries. The emissions from the agricultural sector are not analogous everywhere- which means that there are big differences in the amount of emissions and the sources of those emissions from place to place. This data suggests that as the developing world’s demand for more food and diverse agricultural products increases- so will the total emissions of greenhouse gases. This can change with definitive reforms and policies to improve contemporary agricultural practices. Otherwise, greenhouse gas emissions from this sector have been projected to increase by up to 60% for non-CO2 emissions by the year 2030.

The Economic, Socio-Cultural and Political Opportunities and Risks of Agricultural Management

What are the resources an economy needs to sustain agricultural changes? What can be the political motives and shape of agricultural mitigation policy. What are the economic and political risks of such policy on the country and its citizens.

The socio-cultural impact of changes in traditional methods of farming. The effect of modernized technology on the farmer. The impact on the agricultural market product. The moral issues: livestock management, abandonment of traditional methods.