Coupling of crop and livestock production can reduce the agricultural GHG emission from smallholder farms

Xu, Xiangbo; Xu, Yan; Li, Jing; Lu, Yonglong; Jenkins, Alan; Ferrier, Robert C.; Li, Hong; Stenseth, Nils Chr; Hessen, Dag O.; Zhang, Linxiu; Li, Chang; Gu, Baojing; Jin, Shuqin; Sun, Mingxing; Ouyang, Zhu; Mathijs, Erik. 2023 Coupling of crop and livestock production can reduce the agricultural GHG emission from smallholder farms. iScience, 26 (6), 106798. 13, pp. 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106798

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2023.106798

Abstract/Summary

Ensuring global food security and environmental sustainability is dependent upon the contribution of the world’s hundred million smallholder farms, but the contributions of smallholder farms to global agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been understudied. We developed a localized agricultural life cycle assessment (LCA) database to calculate GHG emissions and made the first extensive assessment of the smallholder farms’ GHG emission reduction potentials by coupling crop and livestock production (CCLP), a redesign of current practices toward sustainable agriculture in China. CCLP can reduce the GHG emission intensity by 17.67%, with its own feed and manure returning to the field as an essential path. Scenario analysis verified that greater GHG emission reduction (28.09%–41.32%) will be achieved by restructuring CCLP. Therefore, this mixed farming is a mode with broader benefits to provide sustainable agricultural practices for reducing GHG emissions fairly.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1016/j.isci.2023.106798
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	UKCEH Fellows
ISSN:	2589-0042
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment Agriculture and Soil Science
Date made live:	07 Nov 2023 14:49 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/535602

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1016/j.isci.2023.106798

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

UKCEH Fellows

ISSN:

2589-0042

Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:

Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.

NORA Subject Terms:

Ecology and Environment
Agriculture and Soil Science