Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Agriculture and the Role of the GHG Protocol

Sezer Kari
Oct 20
3 min read

Agriculture is a critical sector, providing essential services such as food security, bioenergy production, and maintaining ecosystem functionality. At the same time, it has a significant impact on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, contributing to climate change. Unlike energy or transportation sectors, agricultural emissions have unique dynamics that require specialized approaches for measurement, management, and reduction.

Given its complexity, the sector needs standardized frameworks like the GHG Protocol to accurately measure and report emissions. In this article, we explore how the GHG Protocol addresses agricultural emissions, the relationship between agriculture and climate change, and how emissions are calculated. We also highlight agriculture’s critical role in climate action and how standardized protocols can make a difference.

Agriculture and Climate Change

Agriculture is closely linked to climate change in a two-way relationship: it is both a source of emissions and vulnerable to climate impacts. This dual role directly affects global food security, water resources, and biodiversity.

Agriculture’s Contribution to GHG Emissions

The agriculture sector accounts for roughly 24% of global GHG emissions, ranking third after energy and transport sectors. Key sources include:

Enteric Fermentation: Microbial digestion in ruminants (e.g., cattle) produces methane (CH₄), making this one of the largest agricultural emission sources.
Soil Management: Activities such as tillage, planting, irrigation, and drainage contribute to nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions.

Climate Impacts on Agriculture

Climate change negatively affects many aspects of agriculture:

Productivity: Rising temperatures can reduce photosynthesis, lowering yields—especially in tropical and subtropical regions.
Water Resources: Changes in precipitation and more frequent droughts or floods increase irrigation needs and stress water availability.
Soil Quality: Heavy rainfall and extreme weather accelerate erosion, degrading soil health and productivity.

Agriculture’s Role in the 2°C Target

The Paris Agreement aims to keep global temperature rise below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. Agriculture plays a dual role here:

As an emissions source: Livestock, soil, and fertilizer practices produce CH₄ and N₂O.
As a mitigation opportunity: Sustainable farming, agroecology, and soil carbon sequestration practices can reduce emissions while preserving biodiversity.

Understanding this relationship is critical for creating sustainable food systems and achieving global warming targets.

Agricultural GHG Sources

Livestock Production

Enteric Fermentation: Ruminant digestion produces methane (CH₄), a potent greenhouse gas.
Manure Management: Storage and treatment of animal waste generate CH₄ and N₂O, depending on handling methods.

Crop Production and Soil Management

Soil Management: Tillage, planting, irrigation, and fertilization release N₂O from soils.
Fertilizer Application: Both synthetic and organic fertilizers can release N₂O, and in some cases CH₄.

These emissions are significant contributors to global GHG emissions and can be mitigated through improved agricultural practices.

The GHG Protocol

The GHG Protocol is a globally recognized standard for measuring, managing, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It provides businesses and governments with clear guidance for:

Calculating emissions
Reporting emissions
Verifying and reducing emissions

Mission of the GHG Protocol

Its mission is to promote consistent, comparable, and transparent measurement and reporting methods. In agriculture, it helps quantify emissions accurately, enabling informed mitigation strategies.

Key Standards for Agriculture

The protocol provides detailed guidance on:

Identifying emission sources
Calculating CH₄ from enteric fermentation
Calculating N₂O from soil and fertilizer management

Calculating GHG Fluxes

Accurate calculation of GHG fluxes is critical for climate action. The process involves:

Defining Boundaries: Determine which sources and sinks to include.
Data Collection: Gather activity data (e.g., fuel use, livestock numbers, fertilizer amounts).
Emission Factor Selection: Apply appropriate emission factors for each activity.
Calculation: Multiply activity data by emission factors to estimate total emissions.

Handling Uncertainties

GHG calculations involve uncertainties due to:

Data gaps or measurement limitations
Generalizations in emission factors
Model-based estimations when direct measurements are not feasible

Recognizing and managing these uncertainties is essential for reliable reporting.

Conclusion

Agriculture is both a major contributor to GHG emissions and a sector directly affected by climate change. The GHG Protocol is a critical tool for accurately measuring, reporting, and reducing emissions in agriculture. Effective implementation requires reliable data, technical expertise, and advanced tools.

Carbon Gate provides solutions aligned with the GHG Protocol, simplifying carbon footprint measurement and management. Our platform and expert team help organizations: