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Most people can appreciate that if the climate changes, it will affect agriculture. But what about the effects of agriculture on climate?
Curious? Well, read on.
Sorry to disappoint, but right now we can’t predict exactly how global warming will affect the environment and agriculture.
One thing that we CAN expect is that farmers in Africa where the climate is already hot will face severe problems growing crops if the weather becomes even hotter.
But the truth is we need more data. And collecting data about climate and agriculture is what FAO does.
Ever since it was founded in 1945, FAO has been gathering information about yearly and seasonal variations in climate and their effects on agriculture and the environment. The Organization also helps developing countries become better at collecting this sort of data. This is essential for increasing food production and reducing hunger, but it also contributes to our understanding of global warming.
FAO shares information and cooperates with scientists all over the world, especially those working on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. This helps the scientific community make long-term forecasts about the effects of global warming.
OK, so how does agriculture affect climate change?
Well, agriculture is the source of two major greenhouse gases: nitrous oxide and methane. Here’s where they come from:
Fertilizers are a major source of nitrous oxide emissions.
FAO can’t stop farmers from using fertilizers. Plants take nutrients from the soil when they grow and if those nutrients are not replaced, the soil becomes degraded and sterile.
But fertilizers, especially nitrogen fertilizers, have been overused in many countries. They have contaminated the soil and polluted the water.
FAO helps countries use fertilizers wisely. This not only reduces the amount of nitrous oxide released into the atmosphere, it helps farmers lower their costs and reduces the threat of environmental degradation.
One way FAO helps countries reduce nitrogen fertilizer use is by promoting conservation agriculture. This helps cut greenhouse gases in two ways. First, it uses plants to cover the soil all year round, and this extra groundcover helps absorb carbon dioxide. Second, it reduces the need for nitrogen fertilizers and this prevents nitrous oxide from entering the atmosphere.
Find out more about conservation agriculture. You’ll be surprised.
Livestock production accounts for a significant amount of the world’s methane emissions. When animals like cows, sheep and goats digest their food, they belch methane. It sounds funny, but after all, there are millions of animals on the planet.
Get this: about 80 million tons of methane a year enters the atmosphere because of animal digestion. In 2030, it is expected to rise to 128 million tons.
Livestock play a huge role in feeding the world and providing incomes to farmers. So FAO isn’t about to tell its members to stop raising livestock, and it certainly can’t stop animals from belching.
What the Organization can do is help farmers get more production per animal, either in meat or dairy products. For farmers, especially poor farmers in developing countries, this means more income and a chance to escape hunger and poverty. For the Earth, it means not as many animals are needed to meet the global demand for animal products, and less methane is belched into the air.
Also, expanding livestock production is one of the main forces behind the destruction of tropical rain forests, especially in Latin America. Clearing and burning forests releases large amounts of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. By helping livestock producers get more production from their animals, FAO is reducing the pressure to clear more land for grazing.
Find out more about what FAO is doing to improve livestock production and health.
Rice cultivation contributes another 20 percent of methane emissions.
We can’t stop people from growing and eating rice any more than we can stop animals from digesting. But there are ways of growing rice that can reduce methane emissions. FAO is working with its members to introduce these techniques in the field.
