The fifth issue of the Croplands Research Group (CRG) newsletter is now available!
In this edition you can read about:
- Grazing Iberian dehesas: carbon sequestration offset livestock emissions.
- Agroforestry and wildfires.
- Special issue on the role of agroforestry on mitigating and adapting agricultural systems to climate change in the Mediterranean areas of Europe.
- Special issue on the role of conservation agriculture on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- AFINET handbook
- Upcoming events
Read the newsletter here.
The fourth issue of the Croplands Research Group (CRG) newsletter is now available!
In this edition you can read about:
- The United Nations Climate Change conference.
- Agroecology: a transformative approach that provides alternatives to conventional agriculture and foster transition to sustainable food systems.
- Cornell University’s climate smart farming program.
- Biochar: a tool to mitigate greenhouse gases.
- Final events of the AFINET project: fostering transition to agroforestry systems in Europe.
- Interesting events, including upcoming conferences, workshops, and much more.
Read the newsletter here.
The International Symposium on Climate-Resilient Agri-Environmental Systems is meeting in Dublin from 3-6 November 2020.
The call for abstracts is open for submission here.
It will be a great opportunity to meet and greet with multidisciplinary experts, as well as gather and exchange ideas and thoughts on how to combat climate change and protect the environment.
Read more here.
A Special Issue of the Soil Science Society of America Journal will be accepting papers on the role of conservation agricultural practices on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The Guest Editors of this Special Issue are Craig Drury (Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Ontario Canada), Chuck Rice (Kansas State University, Kansas USA) and Jane Johnson (United States Department of Agriculture, Minnesota, USA). Thus far we have commitments for 8 papers and we are hoping to receive 15-20 papers in total. The conservation agriculture practices that have been identified so far include conservation tillage, cover crops, crop rotation, residue management and irrigation.
If you are interested in submitting a paper please contact Craig Drury ([email protected]) with a title and a list of co-authors by April 30, 2020.
Paper submission deadline: September 30, 2020
New publication can help countries improve the accuracy of livestock emission estimates.
92 developing countries included livestock-related emissions as a target for mitigation in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). One of the biggest challenges to achieving mitigation in the sector is tracking emissions, for which national inventories are a key tool. However, systems for measuring and monitoring changes in livestock greenhouse gas emissions are under-developed in many countries. Challenges in compiling data about the activities related to livestock management is a primary barrier. Currently, most developing countries use the IPCC Tier 1 approach which can only reflect change in livestock numbers. Tracking reductions achieved through improvements in management and productivity requires a Tier 2 approach, which uses activity data to estimate emission factors. The problem is that Tier 2 approaches require more activity data, and a lack of good quality activity data is often perceived as a barrier to adopting a Tier 2 approach.
A new guidebook, jointly developed by the GRA, the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and UNIQUE forestry and land use GmbH, provides practical methods for countries to compile the activity data used to implement the IPCC Tier 2 methodology. The purpose is to support countries to improve the accuracy of the livestock emission estimates in national GHG inventories, and thus enable countries to better set their NDC mitigation targets, and measure and report progress.
The guidebook provides an 8-step framework for countries to compile activity data (see Figure 1 below) and it helps answer questions such as how to define what data is needed; how to collect the data needed, and how to assess data availability and quality; how to fill data gaps; how to document the inventory and assess inventory quality; and how to plan for continuous improvement.
Each section contains:
- Practical guidance on the compilation of activity data
- Overview of related IPCC good practices guidance
- Useful tools for implementing the practical guidance
- Methodological guidance that explains issues affecting decisions about how to compile activity data
- Examples of how to implement the practical guidance
- Links to additional resources
The guidebook provides practical methods for assessing data availability and data quality, and for systematising available data and filling data gaps using methods consistent with the IPCC guidelines. Through worked examples of gap filling methods, the guidebook shows that an initial Tier 2 inventory can be compiled and used to identify priorities for data collection as part of a continuous improvement process.
The guidance was compiled around the same time as Kenya developed its first Tier 2 inventory for dairy cattle with support from the GRA, and several examples in this guidance are drawn from that experience. The guidebook is already being road-tested in other countries, and the experiences gained will contribute further methods and examples.
This guidebook fills a long-standing gap in learning resources dedicated to improving livestock greenhouse gas inventories. It shows that the lack of activity data is often more a perceived rather than a real barrier to adopting a Tier 2 approach. When first adopting a Tier 2 approach for livestock greenhouse gas emissions, there are few countries – including developed countries – where all the necessary livestock activity data are readily available and of good quality. Using the tools and methods explained in this guidebook, countries will be able to compile an initial Tier 2 inventory that is consistent with the IPCC guidelines, and prioritize the use of resources for continual improvement over time. This will help countries to comply with the agreements on transparency under the Paris Agreement, and will provide a better basis for identifying mitigation options and tracking change in emissions from the livestock sector.
To download the guidebook, see here.
Read more:
- Report: Measurement, reporting and verification of livestock GHG emissions by developing countries in the UNFCCC: current practices and opportunities for improvement.
- Summary: Livestock development and climate change: the benefits of advanced greenhouse gas inventories
- Resource portal: Tier 2 inventory approaches in the livestock sector: a collection of agricultural greenhouse gas inventory practices
- Website: MRV Platform for Agriculture
The Livestock Activity Data Guidance (L-ADG) was developed through a collaboration of the GRA, the FAO, UNIQUE forestry and land use GmbH and CCAFS.
Call for abstracts for a symposium on animal agriculture emission measurement technologies. This event will take place in San Francisco (August 16-20, 2020).
For further information, click here.
Deadline for abstract submission is 20 April 2020
The University of Turin (UNITO) have a PhD position open to work on the EU H2020 project ETN FertiCycle which has just started. The project will train 15 PhD students in the field of developing new processes for production of bio-based fertilisers, recycling wasted resources and estimating their market potential. Applications should be submitted by email.
Further details on the position can be found here.
Applications close 14 April 2020
The Position
Professor / Associate Professor / Tenure Track Associate Professor in Ruminant Nutrition
For further information click here
For additional questions please contact:
Birgit Nørrung (Head of Department)
University of Copenhagen
Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
Email [email protected]
Applications close 29 March 2020, 11.59pm CET
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are seeking a Livestock systems and Koronivia specialist in the Livestock Information, Sector Analysis and Policy Branch (AGAL) located in Rome, Italy.
The successful candidate will contribute to AGAL’s work on livestock and climate change, with particular focus on analysis of the topics of Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture related to livestock systems, spatially explicit and integrated analysis of climate policy in both international and national contexts.
Read the full position description here
How to apply
To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. For further information, please contact: [email protected]
Applications close 03 March 2020
The Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA) is pleased to announce Zambia as our newest member country. Zambia has become the 62nd member of the GRA.
The GRA is looking forward to working with Zambia to improve sustainable farming practices and to produce more food while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The 62 member countries now participating in the activities of the Global Research Alliance are: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, eSwatini, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Honduras, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malawi, Mexico, Mongolia, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Senegal, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Round 4 of the CLIFF-GRADS Programme is now closed!
DEADLINE: 1 April 2020
The Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA) and the CGIAR Research Programme on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) are pleased to announce that the Round 4 of the CLIFF-GRADS programme is now open!
Fifty-four exciting research opportunities in livestock, soil, rice, modelling and agroforestry are available this round.
Students from developing countries currently enrolled in PhD programmes in developing countries are invited to apply for short-term scientific research stays for training on topics related to the measurement, modelling and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and/or carbon storage in agricultural systems relevant to developing countries (this may be in the context of enhancing food security).
Selected students will be sponsored $12,000 USD for a 4-6 month research stay.
Read More and Apply:
Click here to view the list of available research opportunities and to read more about the application process and instructions to apply.
Access the online application form here.
Please note that this call for applications is now closed. Keep an eye on the website for future calls if you missed the deadline for this round of the CLIFF-GRADS scholarship programme.
The successful candidate will parameterize, test and apply biogeochemical model simulations in a crop-livestock environment considering coupled carbon-nitrogen cycles at local and regional scales. The successful candidate will parameterize existing process-based models with infield measurements data at an experimental farm located in Caiuá, SP-Brazil. This position is located at the Interdisciplinary Center for Energy Planning – NIPE/UNICAMP in Campinas, Brazil.
Eligibility:
- A PhD in earth system science, ecophysiology, agronomy or related discipline.
- Previous experience in process-based modelling of soils, vegetation growth or similar complex models, confirmed by publications in this subject area.
- Working knowledge and experience on coding languages C++, R, etc.
- Minimum qualifications include a demonstrated ability to publish peer-reviewed papers, effective oral communication skills, and to work well in a collaborative team environment.
- Knowledge on GitHub platform will be a bonus.
- Experience with analysis of remotely sensed data will be a bonus.
- Strong interpersonal skills and adequate fluency in English will be a bonus.
- Full-time work, 1 year, starting in March 2020, with the possibility of an extension.
You can read more about this position and application process here