EMISSIONS DUE TO AGRICULTURE

Rome, Dec 21 2010. The FAOSTAT Emissions database provides a comprehensive picture of methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and removals from agriculture production (1961-2018) and associated land use activities (1990-2019), providing information at country, regional and global level. It documents the main trends and impacts of food and agriculture on atmospheric GHG concentrations. Data are based on estimates produced over the period 1961-2018, using as input crop and livestock data submitted by countries to FAO and applying the guidelines for national GHG inventories of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2006) for emission estimates. [more]

NATURE PAPER ON THE GLOBAL N₂O CYCLE

Rome, Oct 7 2020. FAO contributed to a Nature paper that highlights the role of agriculture in perturbing the global cycle of N₂O -mainly through the application of chemical and organic fertilizers on croplands, meadows and pastures. FAOSTAT data were used extensively. The article has been covered by a press release at University of Alabama and several news media.

2020 UPDATE: LAND, FERTILIZERS AND PESTICIDES STATISTICS

Rome, Sep 10 2020. FAO releases today the 2020 update of its datasets on land (1961-2018) fertilizers (1961-2018) and pesticides (1990-2018). These FAOSTAT statistics synthesize the information collected from member countries via FAO official questionnaires – and extend it by offering a suite of additional indicators. The dissemination of these domains concludes an annual cycle of questionnaire dispatch, data collection, analysis and dissemination. We are thankful to experts in member countries worldwide who engage with FAO in this exercise, and thank the FAO staff who make it all happen. 

2020 UPDATE: LIVESTOCK AND ENVIRONMENT. MANURE AND GHG EMISSIONS STATISTICS

Rome, Sep 10 2020. FAO releases today the 2020 update of its datasets on livestock and environment (1961-2018), comprised of FAOSTAT statistics and indicators on livestock manure N and its flows in the environment, and of GHG emissions from enteric fermentation and manure treatment and applications to agricultural soils. The dissemination of these domains is based on national livestock data collected from countries via official FAO questionnaires and disseminated in FAOSTAT, and by applying the international guidelines of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. We are thankful to experts in member countries worldwide and the FAO staff who contribute to this effort. 

Forest Emissions and Removals, 1990-2020

Rome, July 21 2020. FAO releases today new estimates of forest emissions and removals of CO₂ to the atmosphere, based on newly released data from the Forest Resources Assessment 2020 (FRA). Emission and removal statistics are disseminated by country, with regional and global coverage, over the period 1990-2020. Data are aggregated at national level for 205 countries and territories, These FAOSTAT statistics represent the only available global dataset in the world today showing country, regional and global time series on forest emissions and removals based on the FRA 2020, including emissions from deforestation and emissions/removals on remaining forest land [more].

New Dissemination: Pesticides Trade Statistics, 1961-2018

Rome, Jun 11 2020. FAO releases today the update of the FAOSTAT Pesticides Trade database. Statistics of pesticides trade are relevant for monitoring of sustainable agriculture.  In particular, they can help assess the global movement of pesticides and identify issues in access to the global market of this key agricultural input. The database contains data on internationally traded pesticides over the period 1961-2018. Data for the period 1961-1989 cover only monetary values, while data for the period 1990-2018 also include physical quantities. In addition, the database covers trade (2007-2018) in the thirty-five chemicals that are listed as ‘’hazardous pesticides’’ under the Rotterdam Convention. [more]

New Dissemination: FAOSTAT ORGANIC SOILS 1990 – 2019

Rome, April 20 2020. FAO releases today new estimates of the amount of area of organic soils drained for agriculture and the resulting anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to the atmosphere. Data are disseminated by gas and land use class: emissions of N₂O on cropland and grassland are disseminated under the domain Cultivation of Organic soils of FAOSTAT Emissions-agriculture; whereas emissions of CO₂ on Cropland and Grassland are disseminated within the FAOSTAT Emissions-Land use domain [more]

News: SEEA Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Published

Rome, March 31st 2020. FAO and UNSD jointly publish today the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (SEEA AFF). Environmental-economic accounts for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries provide a coherent statistical framework for natural capital assessment on issues of importance to food systems. The UN Statistical Commission supports the use of SEEA accounts in countries to facilitate the production of globally-comparable statistics and indicators for reporting under the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda [more]

2020 Update: Temperature Change

Rome, 11 March 2020. FAO releases today the FAOSTAT Temperature Change data, with statistics of land surface air temperature (⁰C), disseminated by country and region, with global coverage, over the period 1961–2019, for 190 countries and 37 territories. The FAOSTAT domain was produced in collaboration with the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (NASA-GISS). Increases in land surface air temperature associated with rising greenhouse gas concentrations threaten plant growth and yield, putting millions of farmers and communities at risk throughout the world. Together with changes in precipitation and increases in extreme events such as flooding and droughts, climate change threatens countries’ food security, and their ability to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development. Based on scientifically robust information, the FAOSTAT Temperature change statistics document recent warming trends in all countries in the world, facilitating public understanding of the climate change challenges to agriculture, and helping to identify possible responses necessary to minimize risk to food production.[more]

2020 Analysis: Emissions shares

Rome, 18 February 2020. FAO releases today the FAOSTAT Emissions shares domain, with new estimates of the percentage contribution of agriculture and related land use to total GHG emissions. Statistics are available at country, regional and global level, over the time series 1990-2017. Emissions from non-agricultural sectors are taken from the database PRIMAP, developed at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. The new FAOSTAT estimates indicate that in 2017, world total GHG emissions from all economic sectors totaled 51 billion tonnes CO2eq (Gt CO2eq yr-1), and as much as 56 Gt CO2eq yr-1 including agricultural land use. Emissions from agriculture were 11.1 Gt CO2eq yr-1, composed of 6.1 Gt CO2eq yr-1 from crop and livestock activities within the farm gate and 5.0 Gt CO2eq yr-1 from agricultural land use, largely from deforestation and peatland degradation. The percentage contribution of agriculture to world CO2eq emissions from all human activities was 20%. This included a contribution of 11% from crop and livestock activities within the farm gate, and an additional 9% from related land use. The largest contributor to world total CO2eq emissions was the energy sector, which emitted two-thirds of the total, due to the burning of fossil fuels for power and energy generation. Industrial processes were instead responsible for 8% of the total. The FAO estimates represent a significant component of total food systems emissions estimates published today in Nature Food by a group of international scientists (Rosenzweig et al., 2020) [more]