Agriculture and Greenhouse Gases

Jill Heemstra, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

Why Is This Important?

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

• Agriculture emits greenhouse gases (GHGs)• Agricultural activities can capture or

sequester GHGs• Changing climate can impact on-farm

management decisions• Policy conversations & development will

include agriculture

U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

U.S. EPA 2012

Climate Change Policy

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

©University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources

What Do We Need to Know?

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

•Greenhouse gases (GHGs) associated with agriculture• Agricultural activities that emit GHGs• Strategies for mitigation & adaptation• Opportunities

Greenhouse Gases Associated With Agriculture

• Carbon dioxide - CO2

• Methane - CH4 (21 times the global warming potential, GWP, as CO2)

• Nitrous oxide - N2O (310 GWP)

When reading about total GHG emissions, the amounts reported are generally carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) which converts some gases to a higher number to factor in their higher global warming potential

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

Agriculture Activities

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

• Nitrous oxide– Agricultural soil management

(Fertilizer application & cropping practices)

– Manure management

– Field Burning of ag residuesPhoto courtesy Rick Koelsch, University of Nebraska

Agriculture Activities

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

• Methane– Enteric fermentation (digestion)– Manure management

(uncovered manure storage)

– Rice cultivation– Field burning ag residues

Photo courtesy USDA NRCS

Photo courtesy Mark Rice, North Carolina State University

Agriculture Activities

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

• Carbon dioxide– Fossil fuels– Electricity

Carbon FootprintCarbon footprint: The total amount of greenhouse

gases are emitted into the atmosphere each year by a person, family, building, organization, or company, including emissions from direct sources as well as indirect sources.

Life Cycle Analysis: A process to calculate carbon footprint

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

Mitigation and Adaptation

Mitigation=reducing GHGs

Adaptation=risk management

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

Farm Management Decisions

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

Adaptation• Preparation for changes in:

– Temperature– Frequency of extreme weather events– Hydrologic cycles and connections (water

quantity)– Timing of farm operations– Invasive species (plant and animal)

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

Adaptation Examples• Extreme rainfall events are

causing more frequent manure storage spills in your state. This pattern isexpected to continue.

• How can a farmmanage this risk?

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

Photos courtesy Kevin Erb, University of Wisconsin

Adaptation Examples• A ranch in an arid or semi-arid environment

is developing a 10 year plan. What climate influences need to be considered?

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

Animal Ag & Climate Change

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

Mitigating GHG Emissions• Soil carbon sequestration (CO2)• Biofuel production (CO2)• Nitrogen use efficiency (N2O)• Covered manure storage (CH4)• Animal diet (CH4 & some N2O) • Energy efficiency; reducing fuel use (CO2)

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

Agriculture & Sequestration

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

“Agricultural practices collectively can make a significant contribution at low cost to increasing soil carbon sinks, to GHG emission reductions, and by contributing biomass feedstocks for energy use”

IPCC Fourth Assessment Report on Climate Change 2007

Mitigating GHG Emissions• Soil carbon sequestration (CO2)

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

No-till

Perennials

Cover Crops

Manure

Photo courtesy USDA NRCS

Photo courtesy USDA NRCS

Mitigating GHG Emissions• Biofuel production (CO2)

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

©University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources

©University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Algae

SwitchgrassEthanol plant

Mitigating GHG Emissions• Nitrogen use efficiency (N2O)

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

©University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Mitigating GHG Emissions• Covered manure storage (CH4)

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

Examples of manure anaerobic digesters

Photo courtesy Doug Hamilton, Oklahoma State University

Photo courtesy Rick Stowell, University of Nebraska

Mitigating GHG Emissions• Animal diets (CH4, N2O)

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

Photo courtesy Sharon Sakirkin, Texas AgriLife Extension System

Mitigating GHG Emissions• Energy efficiency; reducing fuel use (CO2)

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

Photo courtesy Anne Cumbie RandleRandle Organic Farm, AL

Photo courtesy Mark Risse, University of Georgia

Mitigating GHG Emissions• Trade offs

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

Trade-Offs• If feeding grain to ruminants results in less

methane emissions, does that mean we should craft programs that encourage farmers to feed moregrain and lessforage?

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

Photo courtesy USDA NRCS

Trade-Offs• If switching to perennial crops can

sequester more carbon in the soil, should we be converting significant amount of crop land to perennials?

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

Policy & Mitigation

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

• 2009 EPA finding of “endangerment”• Mandatory GHG Reporting Rule

• Cap & trade• Carbon tax• State regulations

Opportunities• Reduced input costs• Carbon payments or renewable energy

credits• Incentivize BMPs• Market access/advantage

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

Summary• Agriculture is a significant source of

methane and nitrous oxide• Many current recommended management

practices also mitigate GHGs• Production efficiency is key

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

Summary• Farm and ranch business plans should

consider and prepare for:– Ways to adapt to changing climate– Financial opportunities– Possibility of regulations

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

Photo courtesy USDA NRCS

Contact Information

Building Environmental Leaders in Animal Agriculture (BELAA)

• Jill Heemstra: – jheemstra@unl.edu