Abstract
PurposeThis paper aims to assess agri-environment (AE) scheme options on cultivated agricultural land in England for their impact on agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It considers both absolute emissions reduction and reduction incorporating yield decrease and potential production displacement. Similarities with Ecological Focus Areas (EFAs) introduced in 2015 as part of the post-2014 Common Agricultural Policy reform, and their potential impact, are considered.Design/methodology/approachA life-cycle analysis approach derives GHG emissions for 18 key representative options. Meta-modelling is used to account for spatial environmental variables (annual precipitation, soil type and erosion risk), supplementing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change methodology.FindingsMost options achieve an absolute reduction in GHG emissions compared to an existing arable crop baseline but at the expense of removing land from production, risking production displacement. Soil and water protection options designed to reduce soil erosion and nitrate leaching decrease GHG emissions without loss of crop yield. Undersown spring cereals support decreased inputs and emissions per unit of crop yield. The most valuable AE options identified are included in the proposed EFAs, although lower priority is afforded to some.Practical implicationsRecommendations are made where applicable to modify option management prescriptions and to further reduce GHG emissions.Originality/valueThis research is relevant and of value to land managers and policy makers. A dichotomous key summarises AE option prioritisation and supports GHG mitigation on cultivated land in England. The results are also applicable to other European countries.
Highlights
In 2013, 9 per cent of UK greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were attributed to agriculture (Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), 2015)
The comparison with a 6mGBS(nvms) eq (Figure 2) illustrates the emissions decrease relative to the removal of land from production, i.e. emissions are not purely transferred elsewhere on farm but achieve additional GHG reduction through appropriate spatial targeting on high risk soils
The high-priority Entry-Level Stewardship (ELS) GHG mitigation options outlined above will potentially become a part of Pillar 1, a mandatory requirement for the basic farm payment, as opposed to Pillar 2, undertaken voluntarily
Summary
In 2013, 9 per cent of UK greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were attributed to agriculture (Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), 2015). The emissions profile of the arable sector is well documented, with supplementary nitrogen (N) fertiliser application, nitrous oxide (N2O) from soils and fossil fuels consumed by machinery the chief contributors. International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management Vol 9 No 1, 2017 pp. © Douglas Warner, John Tzilivakis, Andrew Green and Kathleen Lewis. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/ licences/by/3.0/legalcode
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