Is low greenhouse gas emission (GHG) agriculture possible? Is it, in fact, desirable? In seeking answers to these two basic but extremely relevant questions, this studyexamines current farming practices and incorporates scientific databases fromlong-term field experiments as case studies for low GHG agriculture. Further, the studyexamines the changes that will be needed for low greenhouse gas agriculture systemsto become a reality. It also elucidates the adaptive capacity of agro-ecological farmingsystem approaches, using organic system case studies from the scientific literature.Each year, agriculture emits 10 to 12 percent of the total estimated GHG emissions,some 5.1 to 6.1 Gt CO2 equivalents per year. Smith, et al. (2007) and Bellarby, et al. (2008) have proposed mitigation options for GHG emissions, finding that both farmers and policy–makers will face challenges from the GHG-related changes needed in agriculture. Areasfor improvement include increased use of no-till cropping, agro-forestry, and integratedcrop and animal farming, and decreased use of external inputs in food and agriculture. Thetechniques offered by organic agriculture are valuable for consideration in these efforts.
No comments:
Post a Comment