This story originally appeared on the CGIAR website.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural systems is crucial to keeping the world on track to meet international climate goals. The 2024 Breakthrough Report—Agriculture, released today shows that momentum in this area is growing – yet food systems continue to account for nearly one-third of global emissions. The report emphasizes the need for stronger international collaboration to accelerate the deployment of new technologies and sustainable solutions that can help reduce agricultural emissions without compromising food or nutrition security.
The 2024 Breakthrough Agenda Report – Agriculture is the first standalone report in the Breakthrough Agenda series to focus on agriculture. It assesses the status of international collaboration toward implementing sustainable practices in agriculture and proposes priority actions for governments to scale up the use of clean technologies and sustainable solutions in agrifood systems.
Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations and Co-chair of the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens, said “I welcome the Breakthrough Agenda in Agriculture which will unlock further collaboration for food systems and investment in agricultural innovation, technologies, and policies while championing climate-adaptive solutions.”
The Agriculture Breakthrough Agenda, launched as part of the overarching Breakthrough Agenda at the United Nations climate conference COP26 in Glasgow in 2021, aims to make sustainable, climate-resilient agriculture the most attractive and widely adopted option for farmers globally by 2030. Progress is measured against four guiding principles: sustainable increases in agricultural productivity and incomes, especially in low- and middle-income countries; reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the agrifood sector; improved soil, water resources, and natural ecosystems; and improved adaptation and resilience to climate change, particularly for smallholder producers.
The report indicates limited progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural sector. While total agricultural output and crop yields have increased slightly, the growth is not on track to meet 2030 targets. Emissions from agri-food systems have remained constant at about 16 gigatons of CO2 equivalent from 2019 to 2021, and the sector’s contribution to global temperature rise is increasing.
“Livestock and fertilizer are two major sources of emissions in the agri-food sector, and this report demonstrates multiple approaches for reducing emissions that can work in high income and low- and middle-income country contexts,” said Aditi Mukherji, Director, CGIAR Climate Impact Platform and lead author of the report. The report dives into these significant contributors of greenhouse gases – livestock and fertilizer – and details four technologies that can reduce emissions: 1) feed additives that can reduce livestock enteric methane emissions by up to 30%; 2) low-methane forages such as legumes and enriched grasses that naturally lower livestock emissions; 3) ‘green ammonia’ for decarbonizing fertilizer production using renewable energy instead of fossil fuels; and 4) ‘site-specific nutrient management,’ which optimizes fertilizer use to match crop needs, thereby boosting productivity and reducing waste and nitrous oxide emissions.
The factsheets below capture the technologies.
- Reducing enteric methane emissions via methane inhibitors – Feed additives to lower livestock methane emissions.
- Reducing enteric methane emissions via forages – Low-methane forages such as legumes to minimize livestock emissions.
- Reducing emissions from fertilizer production via green ammonia – Transitioning the synthetic nitrogen fertilizer supply chain to green ammonia.
- Reducing emissions from fertilizer application via SSNM – Utilizing site-specific nutrient management to optimize fertilizer use.
The report also explores the barriers to widespread adoption of these technologies and approaches. Greater investment and access is needed, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Regulatory challenges, such as inconsistent regulatory frameworks across countries, create obstacles to scaling the technologies. Wider knowledge and technical support are also needed for their adoption and scaling. Lastly, low consumer awareness means limited market demand for low-emission agricultural products.
For governments, the report recommends actions extend across five areas: finance; knowledge sharing; metrics and indicators; support for research, development, and demonstration; and trade and markets. However, the report emphasizes that the technologies are only part of the broader transformation required to achieve the transition to sustainable, climate-resilient agriculture. International collaboration will be critical to ensure the technologies are deployed at scale.
“We urgently need to shift the entire food system to a low emissions pathway, without compromising food and nutrition security for the most vulnerable in the low- and middle-income countries,” said Ismahane Elouafi, Executive Managing Director of CGIAR. “This report, led by CGIAR, emphasizes the need for stronger international collaboration to accelerate the deployment of new technologies and sustainable solutions that can help reduce agricultural emissions without compromising food or nutrition security.”
