With support from the Global Alliance for the Future of Food, the Meridian Institute, a new report has been produced which represents a call to action to create sustainable food systems: Climate Change & Food Systems: Assessing Impacts and Opportunities. The report was designed to bring together existing information about climate change impacts and opportunities for climate adaptation and mitigation into a food systems framework. An Author Team developed the report and established an Advisory Committee to guide the process, provide strategic advice, and offer technical input.
A peer reviewed journal article, based on findings in the report, is also available under open access from the Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems journal: “Climate change mitigation beyond agriculture: a review of food system opportunities and implications”.
The Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences (NIAES-NARO) Japan, is pleased to announce the publication of a new handbook entitled Handbook of Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification for a Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Project with Water Management in Irrigated Rice Paddies.
The Handbook was planned as an action plan of PRRG and was cooperatively prepared by its members.
The Coordination of International Research Cooperation on soil CArbon Sequestration in Agriculture (CIRCASA), initiated in November 2017, has announced that its website is now up and running at https://www.circasa-project.eu/
CIRCASA aims to develop international synergies concerning research and knowledge exchange in the field of carbon sequestration in agricultural soils at European Union and global levels with active engagement of all relevant stakeholders. Specifically, it seeks to:
* Strengthen the international research community on soil carbon sequestration in relation to climate change and food security;
* Improve our understanding of agricultural soil carbon sequestration in different agricultural systems and pedo-climatic conditions and its potential for climate change mitigation and adaptation and for increasing food production;
* Co-design a strategic research agenda with stakeholders on soil carbon sequestration in agriculture;
* Better structure the international research cooperation in this field.
The Global Research Alliance is one of the major international initiatives participating in the CIRCASA project, along with 4 per 1000 – Soils for Food Security and Climate and the Joint Programming Initiative on Sustainable Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change (FACCE-JPI). The Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security program (CCAFS) and the Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE) programs of the CGIAR, and the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS) of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) are also involved, along with 23 Partners.
The Special Section ‘Frontline research in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from paddy fields’, which contains 10 original papers, has been published online by the Soil Science and Plant Nutrition (SSPN), in association with the GRA’s Paddy Rice Group, Partners and Affiliates.
Preface:
Paddy fields are recognized to be a major anthropogenic source of atmospheric methane (CH4), a potent greenhouse gas with a relatively short lifetime in the atmosphere. Like other biogenic sources, CH4 is produced by the activity of CH4-producing archaea, or methanogens, as one of the terminal products in the anaerobic food web in flooded soils. Due to the large amount of CH4 emitted globally from paddy fields, mitigation of emissions from this source is very important in order to stabilize its atmospheric concentration. In addition, because of the possibility of controlling these emissions by agronomic practices, such as management of water, fertilizer, and organic matter, paddy fields appear to be one of the most promising sources for mitigating CH4 emissions.
The mechanisms and factors controlling CH4 production in flooded soils were systematically elucidated almost 50 years ago, mainly by laboratory experiments. Field measurements of the emissions from paddy fields have been conducted at various locations of the world since the early 1980s. Compilation of these data provided the emission and scaling factors for CH4 from rice cultivation in the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. Trade-offs and synergies of mitigating CH4 emissions with N2O emissions or rice production have also been studied. As a result, an array of options that mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from paddy fields has now been proposed and demonstrated by field experiments.
However, there is a strong social need, as the next step of research advancement, to develop implementation strategies for extending the options successfully to local farmers and communities. Because the systems of rice cultivation are widely diverse depending on climate, social, and economic conditions, the options often need to be developed in accordance with those regional conditions. Also, it is necessary to improve the sharing of knowledge of the mitigation options among researchers and other stakeholders, such as policy makers and land users, in different regions of the world. These endeavors are particularly crucial to set up nationally appropriate mitigation actions for rice producing countries, in order to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and meet the 2016 Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
This special section, ‘Frontline research in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from paddy fields’, has been proposed to address the current research needs. Research papers on the issue were collected through the framework of the Paddy Rice Research Group of the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA).
The GRA’s Integrative Research Group (IRG) had a very fruitful meeting hosted by France in Paris on January 17-18. This was the group’s second annual meeting since being formed as a merger between the Inventories & Monitoring and the Soil Carbon Sequestration Cross-Cutting Groups. The meeting was attended by 34 participants, representing 14 Alliance member countries, and invited experts.
Meeting outcomes
The country representatives highlighted some of their important research activities and needs relevant to the IRG. There was optimism about how the emerging projects from the Inventory flagship and Carbon Sequestration flagship will contribute to the on-going work of the Inventories and Carbon Sequestration Networks. The Group decided that the current focus of the Grassland Network on carbon sequestration would be better included as one of priorities for the new Carbon Sequestration Network. The integration of different greenhouse gas emissions for livestock production systems that involve grassland fits well within the new Farm to Region Modelling Network. Consequently, the Grassland Network will dissolve and GRA members and partners engaged in grasslands need to participate actively in the new Carbon Sequestration and the Farm to Regional Networks to realise the great opportunities for grassland management to reduce greenhouse gas emission intensity. The meeting ended with a stimulating discussion of how the IRG could help fill some important knowledge gaps.
An opportunity has arisen for a ‘Technical Expert on soil carbon stock changes’ to work with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Rome, Italy for 12 months. The new deadline is 6 February 2018.
The successful candidate will support the implementation of LEAP guidelines on soil carbon stock changes in the Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model (GLEAM) and its open version GLEAM-i. In particular the consultant will:
- review the GLEAM modelling framework and database and identify data needs and gaps
- identify most relevant data sources and revise existing datasets in view of LEAP guidelines and latest science for estimating soil organic carbon (SOC) stock changes in global grasslands and rangelands
- work directly with the GIS modellers to improve the modelling framework to incorporate assessment of SOC stock change in global grasslands
- lead the validation of model outputs, uncertainty analysis
- translate the framework into the interactive and open version of the model GLEAM-i
- oversee the proper documentation of the modelling approach
- liaise with experts and other partners for the continuous improvement of potential additional information and parameters
- provide feedback to LEAP TAG leaders
- contribute to publications
- any other duties as required
The key functions of the experts to support the road-testing and dissemination of LEAP products will be to:
- provide technical support to organizations and stakeholders engaged in the road-testing of LEAP guidelines
- prepare data collection sheets and preparatory technical material for road testing
- conduct life cycle assessments and complementary environmental assessments according to LEAP guidelines
- ensure that feedback from road-testers of LEAP guidelines is delivered in a structured manner
- contribute to preparation of communication material on LEAP activities and products such as newsletter, articles, policy briefs and brochures
- assist in revising the LEAP guidelines according to the feedback received from road testing
- facilitate development of LEAP environmental assessment tools
- assist in the organization of LEAP events
- any other duties as required
A special issue of Land Journal, with guest editors Dr. Matt Bell & Dr. Matthew Harrison, will present current research regarding the measurement and modelling of greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural production, including land used for crops, livestock, grassland and woodland. Considerable research into sources and sinks of emissions from agriculture has been carried out in recent years to improve our ability to quantify emissions and to assess mitigation options at the farm level. Loss of carbon in the form of methane or carbon dioxide, and nitrogen in the form of nitrous oxide, make up pollutants associated with global warming and climate change. Agriculture is a notable source of enteric methane emissions from ruminant livestock, as well as methane or nitrous oxide emissions from manure and land. Alternatively, grassland or woodland areas can provide an opportunity to sequester atmospheric carbon. Papers exploring these dynamics associated with agricultural land use are welcomed.
Developments in gas monitoring and modelling capabilities now provide new insights into land management options for reduced greenhouse gas emissions for more sustainable food production systems. Papers should cover some aspect of measuring or modelling gas emissions at the farm level.
Submit papers by 1 October 2018 to: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/special_issues/agricultural_GGE
A new impact investment fund, with a target of 100 million euros, aims at improving the lives of 2 million people and avoiding the emissions of up to 25 million tons of CO2 over a 20-year span. Officially launched on 11 December 2017, the fund was announced a day before the One Planet Summit in Paris.
The 8 companies investing in this new fund have been committed in the first Livelihoods Carbon Fund since 2011. Now, they are aiming to increase the scale and the number of projects which fight climate change by restoring ecosystems which provide vital resources to the most vulnerable populations.
An opportunity has arisen for a ‘Technical Expert on soil carbon stock changes’ to work with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Rome, Italy for 12 months. The new deadline is 6 February 2018.
The successful candidate will support the implementation of LEAP guidelines on soil carbon stock changes in the Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model (GLEAM) and its open version GLEAM-i. In particular the consultant will:
- review the GLEAM modelling framework and database and identify data needs and gaps
- identify most relevant data sources and revise existing datasets in view of LEAP guidelines and latest science for estimating soil organic carbon (SOC) stock changes in global grasslands and rangelands
- work directly with the GIS modellers to improve the modelling framework to incorporate assessment of SOC stock change in global grasslands
- lead the validation of model outputs, uncertainty analysis
- translate the framework into the interactive and open version of the model GLEAM-i
- oversee the proper documentation of the modelling approach
- liaise with experts and other partners for the continuous improvement of potential additional information and parameters
- provide feedback to LEAP TAG leaders
- contribute to publications
- any other duties as required
The key functions of the experts to support the road-testing and dissemination of LEAP products will be to:
- provide technical support to organizations and stakeholders engaged in the road-testing of LEAP guidelines
- prepare data collection sheets and preparatory technical material for road testing
- conduct life cycle assessments and complementary environmental assessments according to LEAP guidelines
- ensure that feedback from road-testers of LEAP guidelines is delivered in a structured manner
- contribute to preparation of communication material on LEAP activities and products such as newsletter, articles, policy briefs and brochures
- assist in revising the LEAP guidelines according to the feedback received from road testing
- facilitate development of LEAP environmental assessment tools
- assist in the organization of LEAP events
- any other duties as required
A Global Soil Organic Carbon Map has been released by the Intergovernmental Technical Panel of the Global Soil Partnership at this year’s World Soil Day, by our Partner the Food & Agriculture Organisation.
The map, based on data from 110 countries, is designed to provide users with information to help monitor soil condition, identify degraded areas, set restoration targets, explore SOC sequestration potentials, support greenhouse gas emission reporting under the UNFCCC, and make evidence-based decisions to mitigate and adapt to a changing climate.
Click here for more information
The European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2018 is co-organising a session with the Global Research Alliance that is dedicated to peatland management. Contributions from experimental and modelling work from different aspects (e.g biogeochemistry, vegetation ecology and socioeconomy) as well as work addressing policy implementation of management practices are welcomed.
The use of organic soils is heavily debated in some countries but receives too little attention in others, and political challenges related to the use of organic soil differ greatly between countries. This is an opportunity to raise awareness on peatlands and provide a platform for discussions.
The abstract submission is open and deadline for the receipt of abstracts is 10 Jan 2018, 13:00 CET. More information about submissions can be found here
Session ID: BG 3.20
Session title: Environment-friendly management of organic soils and paludiculture – from innovation to implementation
Session description: Globally, 10–20% of peatlands have been drained for agriculture or forestry, and these emit 6% of global CO2 emissions. There are countries in Europe that have more than 60% of their agricultural emissions originating from cultivated organic soils, and the fate of South-East Asian peatlands is of global concern. However, there are peat-rich countries that are unable to include these emissions in their emission statistics due to lack of data. Innovative mitigation measures that sustain economically viable biomass production while diminishing environmental impacts and supporting ecosystem services of organic soils are vigorously studied. How to implement innovations in practice and into national GHG inventories is a challenge. We invite studies addressing new, innovative management practices on organic soils. We also welcome contributions that address policy coherence and identify policy instruments for initiating and implementing new management practices on organic soils.
Session conveners: Hanna Silvennoinen, Jens Leifeld, Kristiina Regina, Bärbel Tiemeyer, Jagadeesh Yeluripati
For unanswered questions, please contact Hanna Silvennoinen ([email protected]).
The Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institute, Germany has a vacancy for a Scientific assistant for six months that would undertake soil-vegetation modelling contributing to an European Research Area Network – Monitoring and Mitigation of GHGs from Agri- and Silvi- culture (ERA-GAS) project ‘Mitigating Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions by improved pH management of soils’ (MAGGE-pH).
Applications are open until 10th December 2017 – see the position description to apply for this opportunity.