Opinion: To reduce agricultural GHG emissions, start with better data

Popular visions of a “net-zero” future are often depicted in the form of wind turbines, solar panels and electric cars. While the energy and transport sectors are essential to reducing our climate impacts, the agricultural sector must also be given the attention it merits to achieve change, given its substantial environmental footprint. Right now, large gaps in essential data are leaving decision-makers shooting in the dark at where best to focus agricultural emission-reduction efforts — and with better data, the world has a stronger chance to navigate the complexities of a sustainable food system transition. Our food systems, from production through to consumption and waste, are responsible for one-third of human-made greenhouse gas, or GHG, emissions globally, and governments, businesses, and farmers need to invest meaningfully in reducing the sector's environmental footprint, particularly in high-income countries. This is also pressing in low- and middle-income countries, but there are still big gaps in data on livestock emissions and reduction strategies that can help the sector grow more sustainably, as it develops to meet urgent nutritional needs. Data gaps Achieving the Paris Agreement on climate change is not possible without ambitious changes across all sectors. However, it will be difficult to attract sufficient investment and optimize the impact of interventions if we are having to make educated guesses at what would work best in which context — from more sustainable agricultural practices to better land management, for instance. The gaps in data are particularly pronounced in the global south, where agrifood systems are key to achieve other development goals including supporting economic development, local food security, and livelihoods. Around 75% of our food’s emission footprint is driven by high-methane-emitting agricultural production systems. On farms, rice cultivation and livestock are the biggest contributors to emissions, with the former contributing 8% of global anthropogenic methane and the latter 32%. This alone could push global warming beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius, and yet, we are often missing critical data on how rice and livestock are produced and how different farming approaches are influencing emissions and environmental outcomes. The good news is that various global initiatives to address climate change and food systems are underway. The Global Methane Pledge is a global commitment to reduce global methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030. After a landmark decision in 2017, the Koronivia joint work on agriculture was set up, the only official workstream under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change focused on the food sector’s impact on climate. Data-informed emission reduction plans To fulfill these ambitions, countries have been preparing plans to reduce emissions, including from agriculture and food systems. However, these plans and initiatives require agricultural measurement. Above all, low- and middle-income countries need data on where, how and by how much emissions can be reduced and how much this will cost. Data can also shine a light on options which reduce emissions and also improve agricultural productivity and its associated co-benefits. This data is their key to unlock the climate finance needed to put these plans into action. And yet, existing data, measurement and estimation tools to assess the climate and environment impacts of agriculture are limited, especially in the global south. Countries must currently navigate a patchwork of often incomplete or nonexistent datasets to paint a clear picture of the specific challenges they want to address. For example, they need to measure the many different GHGs that are emitted by a particular kind of livestock system, and understand how changing smallholder agricultural practices could reduce these emissions. To support better decisions, a dashboard created by Livestock Data for Decisions, or LD4D, has compiled a wide array of tools to assess the impact of food systems on climate and the environment. The aim is to help countries measure the environmental impacts and GHG emissions of agricultural activities, which will help them apply for the climate finance they need to reduce emissions. Decision-makers can explore more than 30 tools and select the ones that are relevant to their needs or the context within which they work. Tailored assessment tools Gaps remain, both across sectors and regions. Most tools have been designed with high-income countries in mind and are not suited for undertaking climate measurements in low- and middle-income countries where smallholder systems are most common. This further impedes these countries’ access to climate finance. Also, most tools only consider one part of the agricultural sector at a time, and rarely incorporate social metrics — such as gender equality and social inclusion — alongside environmental criteria, making it difficult to measure how actions are contributing to multiple Sustainable Development Goals. To effectively use these tools we need high-quality data. This requires a sectorwide effort to capture and share data to make it accessible for all, especially low- and middle-income countries. The unequal burden of rising temperatures in these countries means more climate finance is needed to address the myriad challenges they currently face. Climate change is a global problem, but some countries need extra support to manage their GHG emissions and to mitigate the effects of climate change — better data is the foundation for better decision-making and a huge step in the right direction.