Worldwide agricultural CO2

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Agro-energies, Climate Change and the future of
the European Union CEJA Conference, 27-30
September 2007, Castel Volturno/Italy
Worldwide agricultural CO2 and other GHG
emissions - where do they come from and how to
reduce them effectively -
Theodor Friedrich Senior Officer AGPC Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
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• What is FAO?
• Oldest and largest specialized UN Organization
• Headquarter in Rome, Worldwide offices
• The Food and Agriculture Organization of the
  United Nations leads international efforts to
  defeat hunger. Serving both developed and
  developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral
  forum where all nations meet as equals to
  negotiate agreements and debate policy.
• FAO is also a source of knowledge and
  information. We help developing countries and
  countries in transition modernize and improve
  agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices
  and ensure good nutrition for all.

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• Who am I and what do I do in FAO?
• Agricultural Engineer and Agronomist, young
  farmer (former life)
• Senior officer for Crop Production Systems
  Intensification
• One work example Promotion of Conservation
  Agriculture
• Why World needs more food and resources are
  degrading
• How Identification of suitable concepts for
  example in Brazil
• Promotion to member governments
• Training of technicians and key stakeholders
• Assist in executing pilot demonstrations
• Publish materials on experiences

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outline

• Green house gas emissions
• and climate change
• Agriculture as driver
• Means and potential for mitigation
• Adaptation
• Conclusions why should we act

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agriculture as driver
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agriculture as a driver

• Greenhouse gas emissions
• Carbon Dioxide is the most important GHG
• Other GHG (Methane, Nitrous Oxide) more powerful
• Still 77 of total GHG in CO2 equivalent is due
  to CO2
• Agricultural land use contributes 32 of all
  GHG
• 24 of all CO2
• 61 of all CH4 and N2O
• The major largest components are
• Deforestation 18.3
• Nitrogen emissions from soils 6
• Methane from livestock 5

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means and potential for mitigation

• Agriculture mitigating climate change
• Globally 5 bill ha (5.109) under agriculture
  ( 40 of total land)
• 3 of this CEJA members
• Significant impact on climate change
• Potential C-capturing 0.25-2.5 bill t/year
• Additionally emission reductions by 50-60

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means and potential for mitigation

• Agriculture mitigating climate change
• options for emission reduction
• no-tillage farming
• 60 reduction in fuel
• 20 reduction in fertilizer/pesticides
• 50 reduction in machinery
• C-sequestration 0.05-0.2 t.ha-1.y-1
• no burning, no CO2 release

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means and potential for mitigation

• Agriculture mitigating climate change
• options for emission reduction
• methane
• aerobic rice cultivation
• change in livestock diet (grazing)
• nitrous oxides
• change in N-fertilizer management
• change in irrigation practice

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adaptation

• Why should a European farmer care?
• Payments for environmental services?
• No carbon grants for agriculture

Because climate change hits all!
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adaptation

• Climate and Climate Change

• reliability of rainfall
• extreme precipitation
• extended drought periods

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adaptation

• Conservation Agriculture is a combination of
  several resource conserving technologies creating
  synergies between them
• 0-Tillage/direct seeding
• Soil Cover, Mulch
• Crop Rotations
• and others like
• controlled traffic farming, permanent beds

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Conservation Agriculture
adaptation
Soil Organic Matter Drought Resistance

Action of Soil Biota
High Soil Organic Matter
Conventional Agriculture
Zero Tillage
low soil organic matter
Biological Tillage
Mechanical Tillage
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adaptation

• ....the invisible seeding
• Less weeds
• Less moisture loss

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adaptation
Avoiding compaction controlled traffic farming
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adaptation
Total area under Conservation Agriculture
worldwide 95 Million ha
Rest 3.3
Canada 12
Asia
Europe?
USA 25
China 1
India 1
Africa 1
Brazil 23
Paraguay 1.7
Australia 9
Argentina 18
(Derpsch, 2005)
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adaptation
USA
Pakistan/India
Kenya
Nicaragua
Uzbekistan
Brazil
Kazakhstan
China
North Korea
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adaptation

• effect of CA on water
• permanent macropore structure in soil facilitates
  recharge of aquifer
• less leaching and erosion improves water quality
• more organic matter holds more available water
  in soils (1 OM 150 m3/ha)
• reduced water losses (evaporation), better
  water efficiency (requirements -30)

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adaptation

• effect of CA on soil
• CA can add up to 1 mm soil per year
• organic matter increase at about 0.1-0.2 per
  year until reaching a saturation
• different rooting systems make more efficient
  use of soil nutrients
• soil structure becomes more stable
• erosion and degradation is stopped

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adaptation
Production increase
COOPLANTIO/CONAB, 2002 and FEBRAPDP,2002 after
Derpsch 2005
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adaptation
Reduced fertilizer needs
Frank Dijkstra Farm, Ponta Grossa, Brazil, 1998
cited from Derpsch 2005
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adaptation

• Advantages for the farm
• 50 labour saving
• 70 fuel saving
• 50 saving in machine capital (tractors)
• 40 smaller tractors
• 3-fold lifetime of tractors

• as well as
• high and stable yields
• less climate risk
• higher profit

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adaptation

• For the farm family
• Time for other tasks and for relaxing
• Better income
• and less stress

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adaptation

• For communities
• Less pesticide use (-20) less pollution
• Lower cost for water treatment
• More stable river flows
• Less flooding
• Lower cost for road/waterway maintenance

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adaptation

• Global
• Carbon Sequestration up to 0.2 t.ha-1.y-1
• Reduced emissions
• Groundwater resources
• Soil resources
• Biodiversity

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conclusions

• Why should we act?
• Agriculture contributes to GHG emissions
• Europes agriculture plays a minor role
• BUT
• Agriculture can mitigate CC
• Europe has a signal effect
• Adaptation as survival strategy
• CA for adaptation/mitigation

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Our future is in YOUR hands!
Thank you for your attention!
More information Theodor.Friedrich_at_FAO.ORG http/
/www.fao.org/ag/ca