The world cannot effectively address climate change without altering our relationship with soil, the world’s third largest carbon pool, according to a new report.
Changing the way we manage land and produce food can offset 25 percent of worldwide fossil fuel emissions, putting agriculture and land use near the center of the climate change fight, a report from
Worldwatch Institute and
Ecoagriculture Partners concluded.
“
Mitigating Climate Change Through Food and Land Use” estimates the two sectors are responsible for about a third of greenhouse gas emissions, yet the international science and policy communities have lagged in embracing efforts in these areas. That’s despite the fact that existing practices and innovations can sequester greenhouse gases now present in the atmosphere, while other remedies, such as energy efficiency and renewable energy, may only reduce future emissions.
"While these initiatives are integral in the transition to a low-carbon economy, any strategy that seeks to mitigate global climate change without reducing emissions from agriculture, forestry, and other land uses is doomed to fail," Co-author Sara Scherr of Ecoagriculture Partners, said in a statement.
The report highlights five major planks by which greenhouse gases may be reduced and sequestered through agriculture and land use.
• Enriching soil carbon: Practices such as tillage minimization, nitrogen fertilizer reduction and erosion prevention can maximize soil’s ability to absorb carbon.
• Farming with perennials: Perennial trees, shrubs, palms and grasses that can be used in the production of food, fuel and livestock feed can store carbon in roots and branches that develop over years.
• Climate-friendly livestock production: Half of the emissions generated by land use and agriculture can be traced to livestock. The impacts, however, can be reduced through methane capture, rotational grazing and better feed.
• Protecting natural habitat: Farmers, ranchers and foresters will be less likely to clear land with incentives in place, while community fire control can reduce the frequency of grassland fires.
• Restoring degraded watersheds and rangelands: Bringing land back to life and protecting critical watersheds can reduce emissions while also lessening rural poverty.
The report costs $12.95 and is available at the
Worldwatch Institute website.
Cornfield image CC licensed by Flickr user tlindenbaum.
