Agriculture is increasingly targeted by high-income nations worldwide as the prime sector for implementing emissions reductions in alignment with their national climate objectives. The agricultural sector contributes to non-CO2 emissions generated within the farm gate by crops and livestock activities. Additionally, it is responsible for CO2 emissions resulting from the conversion of natural ecosystems, primarily forest land and natural peatlands, to agricultural land use.

Insights into Agricultural Emissions:

• Emissions from agricultural production stem from various sources such as livestock farming, nitrogen fertilizers, rice cultivation, and energy usage.
• Livestock belching, flatulence, and dung generate methane, while nitrous oxide arises from nitrogen fertilizers. These gases constitute the primary greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted by the agricultural sector.
• Emissions related to soil carbon storage and farm energy use are not classified within agricultural emissions.
• Methane and nitrous oxide together contribute to 16% and 6% respectively of global GHG emissions, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Reasoning for Targeting Agricultural Emissions:

Initiatives Across Nations

Denmark: Exploring the imposition of a CO2 tax on beef products to mitigate emissions.

Canada: Introduced a voluntary plan for farmers to curtail nitrogen fertiliser usage, aiming to reduce the country’s nitrogen emissions by 30% below 2020 levels by 2030.

Ireland: Deliberating plans to cull approximately 200,000 cows over three years, with an annual cost of €200 million as compensation to farmers.

Netherlands: Aiming to reduce nitrogen emissions by 50% by 2030, which led to farmer protests due to concerns, resulting in road blockades and other demonstrations.

New Zealand: Announced plans to tax cow emissions based on factors like herd size, farm size, and fertiliser type, effective from 2025.

Belgium: Implementing a €200 million scheme for pig farms to scale down or cease production, thereby reducing nitrogen emissions in the agricultural sector.

International Treaties Addressing Agricultural Emissions:

The Global Methane Pledge (GMP):

Signed by 149 countries, this pledge aims to reduce methane emissions by 25% by 2030 compared to 2020 levels. It is began at the Conference of the Parties (COP)¹ to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Glasgow, Ireland, in 2021.

The European Green Deal:

The European Green Deal² involves 27 countries. It mandates a minimum 55% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. Additionally, it includes a Nature Restoration Law aiming to restore nature on 20% of EU land and sea area by 2030 through specific habitat and species restoration targets.

Methane Overview:

Methane ranks as the second most prevalent greenhouse gas (GHG) after CO2. It constitutes 20% of global emissions and is approximately 25 times more potent than CO2, although it remains relatively short-lived.

Methane from livestock is responsible for about half of the net temperature rise since the pre-industrial era. This methane originates from carbon dioxide absorbed by plants during photosynthesis. Later, this absorbed carbon dioxide is released as methane by animals during digestion or through decaying manure.

Livestock fermentation and manure management contribute to around 32% of global anthropogenic methane emissions. Meanwhile, approximately 63% of these emissions are attributed to oil and gas operations.

Read Also: Greenhouse Gases

1. The COP is the supreme decision-making body of the Convention. All States that are Parties to the Convention are represented at the COP, at which they review the implementation of the Convention and any other legal instruments that the COP adopts and take decisions necessary to promote the effective implementation of the Convention, including institutional and administrative arrangements. ↩︎
2. The European Green Deal is a package of policy initiatives, which aims to set the EU on the path to a green transition, with the ultimate goal of reaching climate neutrality by 2050. It supports the transformation of the EU into a fair and prosperous society with a modern and competitive economy. ↩︎