Reducing Carbon Footprint of Agrifood Systems

Context (DTE): The World Bank recently released a report titled Recipe for a Livable Planet: Achieving Net Zero Emissions in the Agrifood System.
As per the report, the agrifood system remains an untapped climate change solution.

Agrifood System Emissions: A Global and Indian Perspective

Global: The agri-food system emits about 16 gigatonnes of greenhouse gases (GHG) annually (equal to one-third of all global emissions).
India
- 60% of emissions from agri-food systems originate from the farm gate, with enteric fermentation from the livestock sector being the largest contributor.
- Emission from rice production is 4% due to India’s high rice production volume.
India ranks high in total emissions but lower in per capita emissions.
- Despite having roughly four times the population of the US, India emits only 30% more GHG.
- India’s low-carbon diets and pervasive poverty contribute to lower per capita emissions.
High-income countries tend to have the highest per capita agrifood system emissions.

Top ten emitters in the agri-food system include China, Brazil, India, the United States, Indonesia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Russian Federation, Canada, Pakistan, and Argentina.

Support low & middle-income countries in adopting low-emission farming methods and technologies, including assisting with forest conservation programs that generate carbon credits.
Shift subsidies away from high-emitting food sources.

Implement greener practices such as reducing emissions from livestock and rice, investing in healthy soils, and minimising food loss and waste.
Shifting to sustainable land use practices can reduce one-third of the world’s agrifood emissions.

Adoption of climate-smart opportunities.
Preserving & restoring forests in low-income countries, as over half of their agrifood emissions come from forest clearing for food production.

Replacing 25% of India’s 8.8 million diesel irrigation pumps with solar pumps could reduce agrifood emissions by 11.5 million tonnes annually. This reduction is more than double the 5 million tonnes of global emissions prevented by electric vehicles and solar panels in 2020.

A $260 billion investment is needed to halve emissions by 2030 and reach Net Zero by 2050. Cutting down wasteful agricultural subsidies can help finance some of these investments.