Efficient farming = low-carbon farming:
The link between profitability and environmental sustainability at farm level
Dr Rogier Schulte, Pat Murphy, Dr Thia Hennessy, Padraig Brennan
Leader – Translational Research on Sustainable Food Production
Food Security & Sustainability
Global Soil Challenges
Food Security 2050:
• Population 9bn
• Dietary shift
• Food demand up 100% by 2050?
• Land grabbing?
Sustainability:
• GHG emissions / C-sequestration
• Water footprint / sustainability
• Biodiversity
Irish as a microcosm
Agricultural policy framework
•
Food Harvest 2020
Environmental policies
•
GHG policy framework
•
Nitrates
•
WFD
•
National Biodiversity Plan
•
Cross Compliance + Greening
•
Sewage Sludge + Pesticides Directives
•
New Land Use Directive proposed
•
Etc, etc
This presentation
“How can we increase food production
and
reduce greenhouse gases from farming?”
“The Irish Paradox”
Q: Which statement is true?
“In Ireland, agriculture
accounts for a much larger
share of emissions than in
other countries”.
“Irish agriculture has one
of the lowest
carbon-footprints,
internationally”.
ANSWER: both statements are true
- Little heavy industry
- Small population compared to national herd
- Agriculture = important to economy
- Predominantly ruminant farming
= Reflection of soils & climate
“The Irish Paradox”
TRUE OR FALSE?
1. “Agriculture accounts for a much larger share of Irish
emissions (31%) than in other countries (9%)”.
2. “Irish agriculture has one of the lowest carbon-footprints,
internationally”.
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/analysis/external/livestock-gas/full_text_en.pdf
Policies
• Global: 2nd Kyoto-commitment period to 2020.
No successor to Kyoto yet. Agriculture currently discussed
under “Advanced Durban Platform”.
To be agreed by 2015.
• EU: unilaterally committed to 20% reduction by 2020
(compared to 2005)
or 30% if global agreement can be reached
• National:
- 2011: proposed Climate Change Response Bill
Headline figure: -20% for total non-ETS sector (incl. Ag)
Policies
2011 Climate Policy
submission:
• Reducing emissions by
20% is really, really
difficult
• Irish agriculture = highly
C-efficient
• Methane emissions:
solutions are limited?
• Risk of Carbon-Leakage
Source: Lanigan et al., 2008
www.teagasc.ie/publications/2008/20081110/reps2008_paper02.asp
Displacement of 50% of Irish beef production could increase
global GHG emissions by 2 – 5 Mt CO2eq per annum
Policy outcomes
•New Government: Minister of Environment asks the National
Economic and Social Council (NESC) for framework for new
GHG policy
•NESC liaises with all sectors – including agriculture:
•“If Agriculture can’t reduce emissions by 20-30%,
what can be achieved?”
•Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC) for 2020
Teagasc1.
GHG
Orderprogramme
of magnitude
2. Ranking of measures
No room for complacency
-
Teagasc research programme on Greenhouse gases
-
€2.5m per annum, 6 Research Centres
3. Categorisation of measures
Teagasc Working Group on GHG emissions
“Cost-effective”
“Cost-prohibitive”
-
Brings together all expertise from research and advisory
-
Developing coherent approach towards better GHG efficiencies
-
Fed into SEAI (McKinsey) report and government strategy
-
Identifying measures that are cost-effective
“Cost-neutral”
“Double dividend”
Source: Motherway & Walker, 2009
www.seai.ie/Publications/Low_Carbon_Opportunity_Study
Approach
Starting Point: Food Harvest 2020
• GHG emissions projected to increase
by 5-10%
• What are the options to reduce GHG
emissions while meeting FH 2020?
1998
2010
Abatement potential =
-the total potential abatement
-that can be realistically achieved
-following full implementation
-wherever biophysically possible.
2020
Results: LCA
Results: IPCC
Efficiency = low carbon = profit
http://www.teagasc.ie/publications/2013/3042/SustainabilityReport.pdf
Efficiency = low carbon = profit
Efficiency = low carbon = profit
Efficiency = low carbon = profit
So where do we go from here?
The Carbon Navigator
How can we maximise the adoption of
“green” measures?
The Carbon Navigator
Principles:
• Practical language:
Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, mitigation, emission coefficient, …
Grazing season length, nitrogen fertiliser rates, etc…
• Carbon reduction = cost reduction
Carbon Navigator specifies potential € savings
The Carbon Navigator
Principles (cont’d):
• Each farm is unique – which measures are most appropriate
on my farm?
• “Distance to target”: how far have I progressed in reducing
my emissions?
• “Comparing like with like”: benchmark my farm only against
similar farms, on similar soils, in my region.
Distance to target
Carbon - footprint
Distance to target
Biophysical
minimum footprint
Teagasc GHG Working Group
2011: “now”
Follow the follow-up on
Twitter: @RogierSchulte
2012: 2020
http://www.teagasc.ie/publications/
2013: 2050