Agriculture is a critical sector that provides essential services such as ensuring food security, producing bioenergy, and maintaining the functionality of ecosystems. But it also has the potential to accelerate climate change by being a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions have different and unique dynamics compared to other sectors such as the energy sector or transportation.

The complex nature of agriculture makes it difficult to accurately measure, manage and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Therefore, standardized approaches such as the GHG Protocol are needed to accurately calculate agricultural emissions.

The GHG Protocol is an internationally recognized standard that guides businesses and governments on how to calculate, report and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The agricultural sector is examined under one of the specific guidances of this protocol.

In this article, we will examine in detail how the GHG Protocol deals with agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, the relationship between agriculture and climate change, and how emissions are calculated. We will also reveal how agriculture has a critical role in the fight against climate change and how this protocol makes a difference in this fight.

The Relationship Between Agriculture and Climate Change

Agriculture is a sector closely associated with climate change. It stands out both as a part of the factors that trigger climate change and as a sector that is exposed to the negative effects of climate change. This bidirectional relationship between climate change and agriculture leads to consequences that directly affect food security, water resources and biodiversity around the world.

Contribution of Agriculture to GHG Emissions

The agricultural sector accounts for approximately 24% of global greenhouse gas emissions. This rate ranks third after the energy production and transportation sectors. A large portion of agricultural emissions originate from greenhouse gases such as methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O).

Enteric Fermentation: In livestock, especially cattle, methane gas is formed during gastric fermentation. This is one of the largest sources of agricultural emissions.

Soil Management: Agricultural activities such as tillage, planting and harvesting can cause the release of nitrous oxide from the soil. At the same time, practices such as irrigation management and field drainage can also contribute to these emissions.

Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture

Climate change negatively affects many aspects of agriculture.

Productivity: Increasing temperature can negatively affect the photosynthetic capacity of plants. This can lead to reduced agricultural productivity, especially in tropical and subtropical regions.

Water resources: Global warming can increase the frequency of droughts and floods by affecting the water cycle. This can increase the need for irrigation and cause difficulties in accessing water.

Soil Quality: Excessive rainfall can trigger soil erosion. This can lead to a decrease in soil quality and fertility.

2°C Target and the Role of Agriculture

The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, aimed to keep the global temperature increase below 2°C compared to pre-industrial levels. Agriculture has a critical role in achieving this goal.

Agriculture is seen as both a source of emissions and an opportunity to reduce emissions. For example, sustainable agricultural practices can increase soil carbon sequestration and reduce emissions.

Additionally, agroecological approaches and natural farming techniques can potentially reduce emissions while preserving biodiversity.

As a result, understanding this complex relationship between agriculture and climate change is critical to both creating a sustainable food system and achieving global warming goals.

Agricultural Sources of GHG

The origin of greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture generally stems from the nature of agricultural activities and the management practices applied. Agricultural emissions are the main sources of some important greenhouse gases, especially methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O).

Emissions from Animal Production

Animal production accounts for a significant portion of agricultural emissions. The most common sources of these emissions are:

Enteric Fermentation: Methane gas, which is formed during stomach fermentation, especially in ruminant animals (such as cattle), is the largest emission source of this category.

Animal Feces: Methane and nitrous oxide formed during the management of animal faeces vary depending on the way the faeces are stored and processed.

Emissions from Crop Production and Soil Management

Crop production is associated with emissions in the soil and during plant growth:

Soil Management: It may cause the release of nitrous oxide from the soil during agricultural activities such as tillage, planting, irrigation and harvesting. It may vary depending on organic matter content, soil moisture and other factors.

Fertilizer Management: During the application of chemical and organic fertilizers to the soil, in addition to nitrous oxide, methane may also be released in some cases. These emissions may vary depending on the type and amount of fertilizer applied and the application method.

As a result, agricultural activities account for a significant portion of global greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions can be reduced by changing agricultural practices and management techniques, enabling agriculture to play a key role in combating climate change.

What is the GHG Protocol?

The GHG (Greenhouse Gas) Protocol is a global standard for calculating, managing and reducing and greenhouse gas emissions. The GHG Protocol has established the practice of calculating and reporting greenhouse gases, especially in the business world and governments. In the agricultural sector, the GHG Protocol is critical because agriculture is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions and accurate accounting of these emissions is essential to understanding the sector's role in combating climate change.

Mission of the GHG Protocol

The main mission of the GHG Protocol is to disseminate clear, consistent and comparable methods for measuring, reporting and verifying greenhouse gas emissions. Its importance in the agricultural sector is the high contribution of this sector to global emissions and its potential to reduce these emissions.

The GHG Protocol provides the agricultural sector with the tools to accurately measure and report emissions so that it can consciously plan emissions reduction strategies.

Standards published by the GHG Protocol

The GHG Protocol has published a set of standards and guidance on how organizations and businesses should calculate, report and verify their greenhouse gas emissions. These standards contain detailed guidelines, from identifying emission sources to methods for calculating certain gases.

Enteric Fermentation and CH4 Emissions

Enteric fermentation is the process of methane (CH4) production as a result of microbial fermentation in the stomach of ruminant animals, especially cattle. In this process, methane gas is produced while the food taken by animals is digested by microorganisms in the stomach.

Methane is a greenhouse gas and is a much more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Therefore, the agricultural sector has a large contribution to methane emissions, especially in regions where cattle farming is intensive.

Soil Management and N2O Emissions

Soil management practices can affect nitrogen oxide (N2O) emissions. N2O emissions may increase, especially during planting, irrigation and fertilization of the soil. Application of nitrogen-based fertilizers to soil can accelerate the process of conversion of this nitrogen by soil microorganisms, resulting in increased N2O emissions.

Manure Management: CH4 and N2O Emissions

Fertilizer applications can have a significant impact on both methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. Application of organic fertilizers (e.g. animal manure) to soil can promote methane production.

At the same time, adding nitrogen-based fertilizers to soil can increase N2O emissions. These emissions play a significant role in agriculture's overall contribution to global warming. Therefore, manure management strategies are critical in reducing GHG emissions.

Calculation of GHG Fluxes

Calculating greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes plays a critical role in combating climate change. These calculations are necessary to measure greenhouse gas emissions and expenses accurately and consistently. These metrics guide policymakers, businesses, and other stakeholders when making strategic decisions.

GHG Flux Calculation Steps

Calculating GHG emissions and expenses generally follows a few basic steps:

Defining Boundaries: Determining which emission sources and expenses to include.

Data collecting: Collecting activity data required for emission and expense calculations.

Selection of Emission Factors: Determining appropriate emission factors for each activity.

Making Calculations: Calculation of total emissions using activity data and emission factors.

Activity Data and Calculation Methods

Activity data is quantitative information used in GHG emissions calculations. This data may include information such as fuel consumption, methane emissions per animal, or the amount of fertilizer used in a field.

Activity data is often obtained from local, national or regional statistics, sectoral reports or direct measurements. Based on these data, GHG emissions are determined using specific calculation methods and formulas.

Uncertainties of Calculations

Greenhouse gas emissions calculations face a number of uncertainties. These uncertainties often arise from a lack of activity data, generalizations of emission factors, or calculation methods used. In particular, when direct measurements are difficult or expensive, modelling-based estimates are used, which can increase uncertainty.

Being aware of these uncertainties is essential for making accurate and careful calculations. There is also the need to continuously collect and update data to manage and minimize these uncertainties.

Conclusion

While the agricultural sector makes a significant contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, it is also a sector directly affected by climate change. The GHG Protocol is a critical tool to accurately measure, monitor and reduce emissions in the agricultural sector. However, effective implementation of this protocol requires access to the right information, expertise and technologies.

This is where Carbon Gate comes into play. Carbon Gate makes carbon footprint calculation and management processes simple, transparent and accessible per the GHG Protocol. With the technological platform we offer and our experienced experts, we make it easier for companies to measure, report and create reduction strategies for their own emissions. This helps businesses achieve their sustainability goals and actively contribute to efforts to keep global temperature rise within 1.5°C.

If you want to measure, manage and reduce the carbon footprint of your business, Carbon Gate is the right address for you! Take a step into a sustainable future by contacting us now.