A recording of the second session of the GRA Flagship Project webinar series is now available to view.
This session introduced the following two Flagship Projects:
- Development of context-specific emissions factors from the application of nitrogenous fertilisers
- Flagship Goal: To encourage global efforts to reduce GHG emissions from nitrogenous fertiliser by enabling its usage to be more accurately reflected in national level GHG accounting.
- Presented by: Dr. Marta Alfaro, Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIA), Chile (email here)
- Evaluation of mitigation and adaptation co-benefits of agricultural GHG emission reduction strategies over time
- Flagship Goal: To develop and apply new protocol-based methods for providing national decision-makers with evidence-based knowledge to ensure agricultural mitigation strategies have lasting impact.
- Presented by: Erik Mencos, Columbia University Climate School, USA (email here)
The session was chaired by Dr. Harry Clark (NZAGRC, New Zealand) and each presentation was followed by time for Q&A.
Spark Climate Solutions is a non-profit doing early climate solution field-building in neglected, high-climate-leverage fields. Spark currently focuses in the livestock methane emissions and natural methane emissions, and will add more areas as our team expands. Spark does not conduct its own research.
Spark is hiring a roadmapping scientist, analyst, and enteric methane program lead roles on its agriculture and ecology team to accelerate research support in these areas, and smooth the path to adoption of breakthrough innovations, working with the current Spark team. These positions are remote, but regular working hours overlap with the Pacific Time zone of the USA is necessary.
The Roadmapping Scientist or Roadmapping Analyst will develop a set of research and research policy recommendations and priorities based on substantial deep review through literature and conversation. They’ll communicate these results internally and externally.
The Enteric Methane Program Lead will drive strategic and collaborative efforts in field building, including spinning up new programs internal to Spark, with other organizations, and seeding new organizations where needed. They will be the face of Spark’s program to the non-profits, governments.
LEARN MORE HERE.
We have a new GRA brochure available to download and share. Check it out here or by clicking on the image below.
Closing date: 30 November 2022
Location: Cornell University, Department of Global Development, USA
Cornell University have a 2-year postdoc opportunity available on the “Productivity and environmental impacts of global livestock systems.” A brief description of this opportunity is below:
The landmark article, Biomass use, production, feed efficiencies, and greenhouse gas emissions from global livestock systems, has been used in global and regional studies on livestock and food systems over the last 10 years, including many Integrated Assessment Models that feed into analysis by the IPCC, IPBES, EAT-Lancet, etc. The postdoctoral associate will steer an update of this dataset by developing a global, high-resolution, spatially explicit dataset of biomass use, production, feed efficiencies, and greenhouse gas emissions of animal production systems. The work would include collecting, processing, structuring and harmonizing data, as well as developing tools to ensure the dataset is easily updatable and accessed, and ensuring good documentation. This project is a collaboration with Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and is funded by the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability’s strategic partnership with EDF.
Interested candidates can learn more and submit their application here.
Closing date: 15 November 2022
Location: Aarhus University, Denmark
Position: Tenure Track Assistant / Associate Professor in Landscape Biogeochemistry
The Department of Agroecology at Aarhus University, Denmark, is looking for a theme leader in the field of landscape biogeochemistry. The research will focus on coupled biogeochemical-hydrological modeling with the aim to better understand and represent C and N cycling and associated exchange of greenhouse gases between the land surface and the atmosphere and how those are affected by land use, management, and changes in environmental conditions.
The position is offered as either a Tenure Track Assistant Professor or Associate Professor depending on the qualification of the applicant. The position is a full-time position, which begins on 1 March 2023 or as soon as possible thereafter.
For further information about the position and how to apply click HERE.
Deadline: 20 November 2022
The Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy and the Massey University of New Zealand are inviting abstract submission on water use assessment in livestock production systems and supply chains. Selected abstracts will be invited to present during an expert workshop in Potsdam, Germany in December, and submit a full manuscript for a special issue of peer- reviewed journal publication.
Further information can be found HERE or by contacting: Katrin Drastig: [email protected] or Ranvir Singh: [email protected]
The October 2022 Circular Food Systems Network (CFS) Newsletter is now available!
In this edition you can find information about the Circular@WUR conference, finalized case studies, a call for new research proposals and more!
You can read the newsletter HERE or via the link below.
Join the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA) on Thursday 3 November at 10am UTC for the second session in our Flagship Project webinar series. Learn more about two of the current GRA Flagship Projects, their key partners and how YOU could get involved.
GRA Flagship Projects develop new knowledge to better understand agricultural greenhouse gases, have global relevance and applicability and generate high scientific impact.
This session will introduce the following two Flagship Projects:
- Development of context-specific emissions factors from the application of nitrogenous fertilisers
- Flagship Goal: To encourage global efforts to reduce GHG emissions from nitrogenous fertiliser by enabling its usage to be more accurately reflected in national level GHG accounting.
- Presented by: Dr. Marta Alfaro, Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIA), Chile
- Evaluation of mitigation and adaptation co-benefits of agricultural GHG emission reduction strategies over time
- Flagship Goal: To develop and apply new protocol-based methods for providing national decision-makers with evidence-based knowledge to ensure agricultural mitigation strategies have lasting impact.
- Presented by: Dr. Cynthia Rosenzweig, NASA GISS, Columbia University, USA
Followed by time for Q&A.
The GRA is working collaboratively, bringing together researchers from all over the world, to deliver its Flagship Projects. These key priority projects have been identified as uniquely suited to the research expertise and global membership of the GRA. Flagship Projects are specific, time-bound projects that have been approved by the GRA Council. They are led by a community of experts within the GRA membership.
A recording of the first session of the GRA Flagship Project webinar series is now available to view.
This session introduced the following two Flagship Projects:
- Technical guidelines to develop feed additives to reduce enteric methane
- Flagship Goal: To accelerate the development and use of feed additives to reduce global enteric methane emissions from livestock.
- Presented by: Dr. David R. Yáñez-Ruiz, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Spain (email here)
- Economics of GHG mitigation at farm level in global cattle production systems (EMiFa)
- Flagship Goal: To identify the most cost-effective options for farm level GHG mitigation strategies in different global production systems and provide evidence-based policy recommendations.
- Presented by: Dr. Claus Deblitz, Thünen Institute of Farm Economics, Germany (email here)
The session was chaired by Dr. Harry Clark (NZAGRC, New Zealand) and each presentation was followed by time for Q&A.
The October 2022 Croplands Research Group Newsletter is now available!
This edition provides excellent examples of the categorization of the crop ecotypes of legumes across Ecuador to be used as a replacement for the synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. Also, the design of new prototypes to develop biostimulants and alternative products (carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins…etc.) from microalgae which can contribute to the development of a bio-economy to mitigate CO2 emissions. Improving soil health is key to increasing sustainable land use and promoting eco intensification, the optimization of the use of the resources that fulfils the SDGs in many aspects while adapting farming systems to climate change and mitigating climate change. Special issues and a list of very relevant events are also provided. Enjoy reading!
Closing date: November 15th 2022
In order to explore the potential of circular food systems (CFS) as a way to contribute to food security while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the Integrative Research Group (IRG) of the Global Research Alliance (GRA) has taken the lead to setup a global CFS network, where knowledge on CFS can be shared, developed, and disseminated. The network aims to mobilise agricultural scientists working from the field to the regional level to explore circularity within agri-food systems.
We now invite you to submit a full project proposal to develop indicators to measure circularity at different levels of the food system. This proposal should be submitted on November 15th, 2022. The organising committee will select 2 or 3 project proposals (2x 150.000 € or 3x 100.000 €). Information about selection of the proposals can be expected around December 5th, 2022.
Criteria for funding proposal
- The scientific quality of the objectives, methodology, and expected indicators.
- Focus on applying indicators at different scales (e.g., product, farm, region) and evaluate trade-offs that may occur with indicator sets at different levels.
- Discuss how the indicators could be implemented and compare on available indicators for circularity (e.g., LUR, HDPR).
- Learn from the indicators, e.g., how indicators from circularity can be linked with others socio-economic and environmental benefits.
- Feasibility on performing the project from January 2023 to 31 December 2023.
- Demonstrate a system perspective.
- Link circularity to food security and GHG mitigation.
- Include a discussion on how the practices align with principles of circularity.
- Share knowledge with ERA-net projects.
- Collaboration between organizations and regional initiatives is encouraged.
Format of the proposal
The project proposal of max. 2500 words.
- Title of the project
- Applicants
- Project description: State of the art, objectives, methodology, activities, expected outputs
- Timeframe and budget
- Organisation of project
- Expected follow-up activities
Full project proposal should be submitted no later than November 15th, 2022, 10:00AM (CET), through: [email protected]
Read the full call document below:
Closing Date: 23 October 2022
Type: Full-Time, Fixed-Term (4 Years)
Location: Hybrid Working, linked to SRUC Barony Campus, Dumfries
SRUC is unique in Scotland and one of the largest organisations of its kind in Europe. Our ambitious and exciting vision is to work at local, national, and international levels, leading innovation and sustainable development in agriculture and rural sectors.
Three new positions are available as part of the exciting new Strength in Places project “Digital Dairy Value Chain for South-West Scotland and Cumbria”. Based in SRUC’s Dairy Research & Innovation Centre in Dumfries and working with other leading dairy industry players across the region, the main purpose of these roles is research and demonstration projects which deliver quality products, high welfare standards and reducing environmental impacts.
- The Data Scientist will join a team developing advanced analysis of data from high throughput milk analysis, a range of animal monitors and GHG measurements operating from individual animal to field and farm levels (the latter being the focus of this post).
- The Food Scientist (Dairy) will establish a dairy processing research programme that is also grounded in SRUC’s dairy production expertise and linked to work in larger-scale Maker Spaces and commercial facilities.
- The GHG Scientist will develop and characterise measurements of greenhouse gases from individual animal to building and field scales.
To learn more and apply click on the job titles above or HERE.