Climate Change and Agriculture

What is Climate Change?

Although the Earth’s climate is constantly changing and global climate change occurs naturally, the rate of future climate change may be more rapid than at any time in the last 10,000 years. The majority of the world’s scientists who study this topic conclude that this expected climate change would differ from previous climate change because of human activities. Therefore, climate change is the slow change in the composition of the global atmosphere, which is caused directly and indirectly by various human activities in addition to natural climate variability over time.

The atmosphere has an effect like a greenhouse on the earth’s atmosphere. The energy from the sun reaching the earth is balanced by the energy that the earth emits back to space. Greenhouse gases (GHGs) trap some of this energy that the earth releases to space. These GHGs in the atmosphere act as a thermostat controlling the earth’s climate. Without this natural greenhouse effect, the average temperature on earth would be –18^oC instead of the current +15^oC. Therefore, life as we know it, would be impossible.

The major GHGs in our atmosphere are water vapour, carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), halocarbons, which are used as refrigerants, and nitrous oxide (N₂O). Since 1750, the atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide have increased by approximately 31%, 151%, and 17%, respectively. Modern industry and lifestyles have led to elevated levels on existing GHGs such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide and in some cases, completely new GHGs such as halocarbons. Current rates of increase per year are 0.5% for carbon dioxide, 0.6% for methane and 0.3% for nitrous oxide. The scientific evidence for this is very solid. In a 2001 scientific assessment, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded, “the balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on climate change.”

Human activities increase the GHG levels in the atmosphere by introducing new sources or removing natural sinks, such as forests. Sources are processes or activities that release greenhouse gases; sinks are processes, activities or mechanisms that remove greenhouse gases. A balance between sources and sinks determines the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Agriculture and Greenhouse Gases

The main GHGs emitted by agriculture are carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Farm sources and sinks of GHGs

Figure 1 Legend:

1. Soils and crop management
2. Manure management
3. Livestock management
4. Land use and energy

• fuel combustion for heating farm buildings and machinery
• intensive tillage regimes, and
• summerfallow when soil organic matter is decomposing

• enteric fermentation from ruminant livestock (cattle, sheep, goats)
• anaerobic respiration of organisms in riparian areas, and
• manure storage systems (stockpiled solid, liquid storage)

• wet soils containing nitrogen fixing plants like alfalfa or pulses
• manure nitrogen application
• commercial nitrogen fertilizer application

• Reducing emissions through management practices such as improved feeding efficiency or manure management;
• Removing emissions through management practices that increase carbon in soils, pastures and trees; and
• Replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy

AF Current Initiatives in the Areas of Greenhouse Gases and Climate Change

Quantification protocol development for offset investment
Carbon credits or offsets generated from the agriculture sector will be a compliance option for large GHG emitters in both federal and provincial climate change plans. In Alberta as of March 2005, there may be a provincial demand for offset credits because new coal plants are required to offset their GHG emissions to equate to emissions from natural gas fired plants. To facilitate the offset investment in Alberta, the federal and provincial governments are collaborating in working towards the development of industry quantification protocols. Upon completion, these quantification protocols will facilitate the market development (when the rules are in place). AF supports the development of standardized offset protocols for producers or other groups who want to create offset credits for sale in an evolving carbon market. A key outcome of the quantification protocol processes are to make certain that the protocols are based on transparent, science based standards and definitions, withstanding scientific reviews from leading Canadian, US, and if need be, international scientists. The developing quantification protocols are:

1. The Pork Technical Working Group is developing techniques to reduce GHG emissions relative to baseline practices in the areas of hog feeding strategies, hog manure storage and hog manure application onto land. Other members of this working group include the Canadian Pork Council, Climate Change Central and BIOCAP.
2. The Beef Technical Working Group is developing techniques to reduce GHG emissions with focus on aspects of ration balancing and selecting for feed efficiency. The science in this area is relatively well developed and it presents an opportunity for producers to increase production efficiencies and to reduce GHG emissions. Other members of this working group include the Canadian Cattlemen's Association, Climate Change Central and BIOCAP.
3. The Manure Processing Technical Working Group is developing techniques to manage GHG emissions with focus on manure handling, compost and anaerobic digesters. Other members of this working group include the Alberta Research Council, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Climate Change Central and BIOCAP.
4. The Alberta Government has committed $239 million over the next five years (April 2007 – March 2011) to strengthen and expand Alberta’s bioenergy sector. This investment directly supports AF’s nine-point energy plan. The plan focuses on programs that support the development of standards, markets, infrastructure, credit and protocols. Other ministry sponsors include Energy, Environment, Sustainable Resource Development and Advanced Education and Technology.

Contacts

For more information about GHGs and climate change in agriculture please contact:

Kerrianne Koehler-Munro Climate Change Program Planner Resource Sciences Branch Phone: 780-427-3628 kerrianne.koehler-munro@gov.ab.ca

Tom Goddard Environment/Land Use Policy Secretariat Phone: 780-427-3067 tom.goddard@gov.ab.ca

For more information about AF GHG and climate change related research and activities, please contact:

Dr. Atta Atia Manure Management Specialist Industry Engagement & Stewardship Branch Phone: 780-427-4215 atta.atia@gov.ab.ca	Dr. Vern Baron Research Scientist Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Phone: 403-782-8109 baronv@agr.gc.ca	Dr. John Basarb Beef Research Scientist Western Forage Beef Group Phone:403-782-8032 john.basarb@gov.ab.ca
Toso Bozic Woodlot Specialist/Agro-Forester Bio Industry Development Phone: 780-415-2681 toso.bozic@gov.ab.ca	Tony Brierley Soil Land Resource Info Specialist Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Phone: 780-427-3781 tony.brierley@gov.ab.ca	Dr. Rachid El Hafid Research Scientist Ag-Entrepreneurship Division Phone: 780-968-3515 rachid.el.hafid@gov.ab.ca
Karen Haugen-Kozyra Director of Policy Development and Offset Solutions Climate Change Central Phone: 780-408-4587 karenhk@climatechangecentral.com	Richard Heikkila Senior Economic Analyst Economics and Competitiveness Division Phone: 780-422-4088 richard.heikkila@gov.ab.ca	Len Kryzanowski Section Lead, Land Use Resource Sciences Branch Phone: 780-422-1252 len.kryzanowski@gov.ab.ca
Mimi Lee New Venture Economist Ag-Entrepreneurship Division Phone: 780-968-3552 mimi.lee@gov.ab.ca	Sheilah Nolan Climate Change Research Agrologist Resource Sciences Branch Phone: 780-427-3719 sheilah.nolan@gov.ab.ca

Sources

1.	"J.T. Houghton, L.G. Meira Filho, B.A. Callender, N., Harris, A. Kattenberg and K Maskell (Eds). 1995. Climate Change: The Science of Climate Change". Cambridge University Press. 572 pp.
2.	Matin A., P. Collas, D. Blain, C. Ha, C. Liang, L. MacDonald, S. McKibbon, C. Palmer, and K. Rhoades. 2004. Canada’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory, 1990-2002. Environment Canada.
3.	Environment Canada. 2004. Climate change overview. http://www.ec.gc.ca/climate/overview-e.html. Date last viewed Nov. 17, 2004.
4.	Australian Greenhouse Office. 1999. National Emissions Trading: Establishing the boundaries. Discussion Paper No. 1. Commonwealth of Australia.
5.	Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 1998. The Health of Our Air: Toward sustainable agriculture in Canada. Research Branch, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
6.	Government of Canada. 1999. Our Climate is Changing. (ref. www.climatechange.gc.ca/info). Date last viewed Nov. 25, 2004.
7.	IPCC. 1996. 1995 Summary for Policy Makers- A Report of Working Group I of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
8.	Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development and University of Alberta. August 2003. Development of a farm-level greenhouse gas assessment: Identification of Knowledge gaps and Development of a Science Plan. AARI Project number 2001J204.
9.	Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development and University of Alberta. August 2003. Development of a farm-level greenhouse gas assessment: Identification of Knowledge gaps and Development of a Science Plan. AARI Project number 2001J204.