Abstract
In this study, we developed user-friendly software (CF-Rice) for calculating the carbon footprints (CF) of rice products. The approach follows the principles of Life Cycle Assessment while incorporating more flexibility for activities specific to rice production. The graphical user interface provides empirical emission and conversion factors obtained from the literature and from primary research studies of rice value chains. CF-Rice also allows the entering of new values for specific processes or practices. Data outputs distinguish among the contributions of individual stages of the value chain as well as different greenhouse gases (GHG), namely, CH4, N2O and CO2. The new tool was then applied to a scenario assessment of rice production in the regional context of Southeast Asia. The CF baseline of a typical rice value chain in the region accounted for a value of around 2300 g CO2e/kgProd. The CF can be reduced by about 27.4% through water-saving practices alone and can further be reduced up to 37.3% through interventions that increase product recovery rates and, thus, reduce food losses. In contrast, straw incorporation into the soil increased the CF by 26.0%. The tool is well suited for impact assessments of advanced practices and technologies of rice value chains.
Highlights
The agricultural sector accounts for a sizable contribution of the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to anthropogenic climate change [1]
As a means to allow easy operation of the tool, we developed a graphical user interface (GUI) and compiled a library of GHG emission factors and recovery rates tailored for the rice value chain that are derived from our own primary research as well as other sources (Table 1)
N2 O emissions from fertilizer application are higher under multiple drainage techniques and account for 4.9% of the total, but that does not impair the overall reduction of GHG emissions and carbon footprints (CF) through the use of multiple drainage techniques
Summary
The agricultural sector accounts for a sizable contribution of the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to anthropogenic climate change [1]. According to a recent estimate, the food system is responsible for approximately 26% of the total global GHG emissions [2]. Given the growing demand for food, sustainable development pathways to attaining global food security will rely on both dietary changes and agricultural intensification pathways that stabilize or even reduce GHG emissions [3,4]. Several methods have been developed for quantifying GHG emissions from agricultural sources. As a widely applied approach, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines [9,10] facilitate the quantification of GHG estimates at Sustainability 2022, 14, 315.
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