Perspectives on carbon footprint of agricultural land-use in Brazil

Abstract

Brazil is one of the main producers in the agricultural and forestry sector worldwide, with production systems based on high consumption of inputs that contribute to high levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This paper presents an analysis of the scenario of national GHG emissions and carbon footprints in the major production systems of agriculture, including livestock production and forestry, and the potential for soil carbon storage as a mitigation strategy under these systems. The main sources of national GHG emissions are beef cattle due to enteric fermentation and the management of agricultural soils through the use of nitrogen fertilizers. The increasing adoption of low-carbon agriculture has led to a reduction in the carbon footprint through no-till technologies, agrosilvopastoral systems, N₂ fixation, and tree plantations. These technologies deserve to be increasingly disseminated to generate economic opportunities leading to financial gains from the commercialization of carbon credits and payment for environmental services.

Keywords

GHG emissions / low-carbon agriculture / land-use systems / sustainable intensification

References

[1] Potenza RF,Cardoso AM. Analysis of Brazilian greenhouse gas emissions and their implications for Brazil’s climate goals. Available from: http://seeg.eco.br [Last accessed on 14 Apr 2022]

[2] CNA Confederação da Agricultura e Pecuária do Brasil. PIB do agronegócio avança no trimestre e acumula alta de 9,81% no primeiro semestre de 2021. Available from: https://www.cnabrasil.org.br/boletins/pib-do-agronegocio-avanca-no-trimestre-e-acumula-alta-de-9-81-no-primeiro-semestre-de-2021 [Last accessed on 14 Apr 2022]

[3] IBÁ. São Paulo:Brazilian Tree Industry; Anual Report 2020.176 p. Available from: www.iba.org [Last accessed on 14 Apr 2022]

[4] CONAB. Companhia Nacional de Abastecimento. Série Histórica das Safras. https://www.conab.gov.br/info-agro/safras/serie-historica-dassafras?limitstart [Last accessed on 14 Apr 2022]

[5] Gama-rodrigues AC,Gama-rodrigues EF.Cacao-based agroforestry systems in the Atlantic Forest and Amazon Biomes: an ecoregional analysis of land use.Agric Syst2021;194:103270

[6] IBGE. Municipal Livestock Research1990-2016. IBGE Automatic Recovery System 2017. https://sidra.ibge.gov.br/pesquisa/ppm/tabelas/brasil/2016 [Last accessed on 14 Apr 2022]

[7] ANDA. National Association for the Diffusion of Fertilizers. Fertilizer Sector: Statistical Yearbook. 2020. Available from: http://www.anda.org.br/arquivos [Last accessed on 14 Apr 2022]

[8] IBAMA. Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources. Pesticides: Marketing history 2000-2019. 2021. http://www.ibama.gov.br/agrotoxicos/relatorios-de-comercializacao-de-agrotoxicos [Last accessed on 14 Apr 2022]

[9] Christo GL. Emissões de solos manejados: aspectos metodológicos e principais fontes de emissão. In: Sotta ED, Sampaio FG, Galhardo JV editors. Coletânea dos Fatores de Emissão e Remoção de Gases de Efeito Estufa da Agricultura Brasileira. Brasília: MAPA; 2020. p. 22-7.

[10] Brasil. Science, Technology, Innovations and Communications Ministry of Brazil. Secretariat of Policies for Training and Strategic Actions. General Climate Coordination. Annual estimates of greenhouse gas emissions in Brazil. 5. ed. Brasilia: MCTIC; 2020. Available from: https://www.gov.br/mcti/pt-br/ [Last accessed on 14 Apr 2022]

[11] Cabral OM,Cuadra SV.The sustainability of a sugarcane plantation in Brazil assessed by the eddy covariance fluxes of greenhouse gases.Agric For Meteorol2020;282-283:107864

[12] Lima MA,Frighetto RTS,Villela OV.Methane emission from a flooded rice field under pre-germinated system.Cienc Rural2019;

[13] Carvalho AMD,Coser TR,Malaquias JV.Nitrogen oxides and CO₂ from an Oxisol cultivated with corn in succession to cover crops.Pesq agropec bras2016;51:1213-22

[14] de Figueiredo CC,Dos Santos IL.Relationships between soil organic matter pools and nitrous oxide emissions of agroecosystems in the Brazilian Cerrado.Sci Total Environ2018;618:1572-82

[15] Carvalho MTDM,Leal WGDO.Nitrogen fluxes from irrigated common-bean as affected by mulching and mineral fertilization.Pesq agropec bras2013;48:478-86

[16] Sato JH,de Figueiredo CC.Nitrous oxide fluxes in a Brazilian clayey oxisol after 24 years of integrated crop-livestock management.Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst2017;108:55-68

[17] Escanhoela ASB,Brandani CB,Bento CB.Organic management increases soil nitrogen but not carbon content in a tropical citrus orchard with pronounced N₂O emissions.J Environ Manage2019;234:326-35

[18] Cerri CC,Alves PA.Assessing the carbon footprint of beef cattle in Brazil: a case study with 22 farms in the State of Mato Grosso.J Clean Prod2016;112:2593-600

[19] Torres CMME,Nolasco de Olivera Neto S.Greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration by agroforestry systems in southeastern Brazil.Sci Rep2017;7:16738 PMCID:PMC5711860

[20] Oliveira ADD,Ferreira EAB.CH₄ and N₂O fluxes from planted forests and native Cerrado ecosystems in Brazil.Sci agric (Piracicaba, Braz)2021;78:e20180355

[21] Meurer KHE,Stange CF,Madari BE.Direct nitrous oxide (N₂O) fluxes from soils under different land use in Brazil - a critical review.Environ Res Lett2016;11:023001

[22] Nair PKR.Carbon Footprints: introducing a new peer-reviewed, open access, international journal.Carbon Footprints2021;1:1

[23] Jabbour R,Schipanski ME.Use of decision-support tools by students to link crop management practices with greenhouse gas emissions: a case study.Nat Sci Educ2021;50:e20063

[24] Sá JC,Cerri CC,Hungria M.Low-carbon agriculture in South America to mitigate global climate change and advance food security.Environ Int2017;98:102-12

[25] MAPA. Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply. Sectoral plan for mitigation and adaptation to climate change for the consolidation of a low carbon economy in agriculture: ABC plan (Low Carbon Agriculture) - Brasília: MAPA/ACS, 2012. 173 p. Available from: www.gov.br/agricultura/pt-br/assuntos/sustentabilidade/plano-abc/arquivo-publicacoes-plano-abc/download.pdf [Last accessed on 14 Apr 2022]

[26] EMBRAPA. Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation. ILPF in numbers. Brasilia: Embrapa; 2016. Available from: https://www.embrapa.br/busca-de-publicacoes/-/publicacao/1064859/ilpf-em-numeros [Last accessed on 14 Apr 2022]

[27] Febrapdp 2022. Federação Brasileira de plantio direto na palha. Available from: www.febrapdp.org.br [Last accessed on 14 Apr 2022]

[28] Florindo T,Talamini E.Application of the multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach in the identification of Carbon Footprint reduction actions in the Brazilian beef production chain.J Clean Prod2018;196:1379-89

[29] de Figueiredo EB,de Oliveira Bordonal R.Greenhouse gas balance and carbon footprint of beef cattle in three contrasting pasture-management systems in Brazil.J Clean Prod2017;142:420-31

[30] Florindo TJ,Talamini E,Ruviaro CF.Carbon footprint and Life Cycle Costing of beef cattle in the Brazilian midwest.J Clean Prod2017;147:119-29

[31] de Léis CM,Ruviaro CF.Carbon footprint of milk production in Brazil: a comparative case study.Int J Life Cycle Assess2014;20:46-60

[32] Carmo HF,Wander AE,Gonzaga ACO.Energy balance and carbon footprint in the integrated and conventional production systems of irrigated common bean.Pesqui Agropecu Bras2016;51:1069-77

[33] Escobar N,zu Ermgassen EK,Börner J.Spatially-explicit footprints of agricultural commodities: mapping carbon emissions embodied in Brazil’s soy exports.Glob Environ Change2020;62:102067

[34] Persson UM,Cederberg C.A method for calculating a land-use change carbon footprint (LUC-CFP) for agricultural commodities - applications to Brazilian beef and soy, Indonesian palm oil.Glob Chang Biol2014;20:3482-91

[35] Lathuillière MJ,Galford GL.Environmental footprints show China and Europe’s evolving resource appropriation for soybean production in Mato Grosso, Brazil.Environ Res Lett2014;9:074001

[36] Pereira BDJ,La Scala N.Greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint of cucumber, tomato and lettuce production using two cropping systems.J Clean Prod2021;282:124517

[37] Brito de Figueirêdo MC,Potting J.The carbon footprint of exported Brazilian yellow melon.J Clean Prod2013;47:404-14

[38] Martins LD,Rodrigues WN,Santos AR.Carbon and water footprints in Brazilian coffee plantations - the spatial and temporal distribution.Emir J Food Agric2018;30:482-7

[39] Schroth G,Gomes ADS.Climate friendliness of cocoa agroforests is compatible with productivity increase.Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Change2016;21:67-80

[40] Monroe PHM,Gama-Rodrigues AC.Carbon and nitrogen occluded in soil aggregates under cacao-based agroforestry systems in Southern Bahia, Brazil.J Soil Sci Plant Nutr2022;

[41] Salgado GM,Vicente LC,Aleixo S.Stable carbon in soils under rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) agroforestry systems in the south of Bahia, Brazil.SN Appl Sci2019;1:790

[42] Oliveira DMDS,Davies CA.Soil carbon changes in areas undergoing expansion of sugarcane into pastures in south-central Brazil.Agric Ecosyst Environ2016;228:38-48

[43] Siqueira-Neto M,Piccolo MC.Impacts of land use and cropland management on soil organic matter and greenhouse gas emissions in the Brazilian Cerrado.Eur J Soil Sci2021;72:1431-46

[44] Carvalho JLN,Cerri CEP.Impact of pasture, agriculture and crop-livestock systems on soil C stocks in Brazil.Soil Tillage Res2010;110:175-86

[45] Santos FLDS,Reatto A,Carvalho AMD.Soil carbon and nitrogen under different land-use and landscape loca-tions in central Brazil.J Biotechnol Biodivers2021;9:178-86

[46] Gmach M,Silva CA,Lustosa-filho JF.Soil organic matter dynamics and land-use change on Oxisols in the Cerrado, Brazil.Geoderma Reg2018;14:e00178

[47] Rittl TF,Cerri CE.Soil carbon stock changes under different land uses in the Amazon.Geoderma Reg2017;10:138-43

[48] Pinheiro FM,Nair VD,Venturin RP.Soil carbon stock and stability under Eucalyptus-based silvopasture and other land-use systems in the Cerrado biodiversity hotspot.J Environ Manage2021;299:113676

[49] Tonucci RG,Nair VD,Bernardino FS.Soil carbon storage in silvopasture and related land-use systems in the brazilian cerrado.J Environ Qual2011;40:833-41

[50] Oliveira CV,Gama-Rodrigues EF,Marques JR.Carbon and nitrogen stock of Acrisols and Nitisols in South Bahia, Brazil.Geoderma Reg2019;16:e00218

[51] Monroe PHM,Gama-Rodrigues AC.Soil carbon stocks and origin under different cacao agroforestry systems in Southern Bahia, Brazil.Agric Ecosyst Environ2016;221:99-108

[52] Vicente LC,Gama-Rodrigues AC.Soil carbon stocks of Ultisols under different land use in the Atlantic rainforest zone of Brazil.Geoderma Reg2016;7:330-7

[53] Gama-Rodrigues EF,Nair VD,Baligar VC.Carbon storage in soil size fractions under two cacao agroforestry systems in Bahia, Brazil.Environ Manage2010;45:274-83