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09:03
Assessment of Methane and Nitrous Oxide Fluxes from Paddy Field by Means of Static Closed Chambers Maintaining Plants Within Headspace
Published on: September 6, 2018
Greenhouse gas mitigation by agricultural intensification
Jennifer A Burney1, Steven J Davis, David B Lobell
1Program on Food Security and the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. burney@stanford.edu
Summary
Investing in agricultural research to boost crop yields has significantly reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This strategy avoided billions of tons of carbon emissions, proving cost-effective for climate change mitigation.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Climate Change Mitigation
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Agriculture is a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
- Agricultural productivity influences land use change and associated emissions.
- Investment in agricultural research is often overlooked as a climate mitigation strategy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the net effect of agricultural intensification on GHG emissions from 1961 to 2005.
- To assess the cost-effectiveness of agricultural yield improvements as a climate mitigation strategy.
Main Methods:
- Estimation of historical agricultural intensification impacts on GHG emissions.
- Calculation of avoided emissions based on yield improvements compared to 1961 technology.
Main Results:
- Agricultural intensification between 1961 and 2005 avoided up to 161 gigatons of carbon (GtC) (590 GtCO2e).
- Each dollar invested in agricultural yields avoided 68 kgC (249 kgCO2e) in emissions.
- Annual avoided emissions averaged 3.6 GtC (13.1 GtCO2e) per year.
Conclusions:
- Investment in agricultural yield improvements is a highly cost-effective climate change mitigation strategy.
- Enhanced agricultural productivity offers substantial GHG emission reductions.
- Prioritizing further yield improvements is crucial for future climate change mitigation efforts.
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