Enhancing cooperation in agricultural greenhouse gas research

Structure, Vision and Work plans forResearch Groups and Cross-cutting Groups

Concerted Actions

Paddy RiceResearch Group

CroplandsResearch Group

LivestockResearch Group

So

il C

arb

on

an

dN

itro

gen

Cyc

ling

Cross-cutting Groups

Inve

nto

ry a

nd

Mea

sure

men

t

The Journey So Far

• Kick-off in Wellington April 2010

• Extensive concerted stock take

• 1st Group meetings September – November 2010

• 2nd Group meetings March 2011 (France)

• Agreement within and amongst groups on our task

• A joint scientific publication

Stock Take

Ambition&

VisionAction Plan

The Journey So Far

• Kick-off in Wellington April 2010

• Extensive concerted stock take

• 1st Group meetings September – November 2010

• 2nd Group meetings March 2011 (France)

• Agreement within and amongst groups on our task

• A joint scientific publication

Our Collective Vision

• Increase agriculture production with lower emissions

Feeding the world within the carrying capacity of earth

• Improve global cooperation in research & technology

Accelerate/strengthen knowledge and technology development that would not happen without the Alliance

• Work with farmers and partners, provide knowledge

Develop relevant mitigation options and strengthen productivity and resilience of food systems

Livestock Research GroupHarry Clark & Martin Scholten

• Livestock is key agricultural sector in all regions with GHG emissions arise from animals, manure, and soilsStocktake shows more than 40% of all current researchis in livestock; two thirds funded by governments

• Almost all Alliance members participate

• Two subgroups:

Ruminants(rumen and soils) Non Ruminants

(manure)

Livestock Research GroupHarry Clark & Martin Scholten

• Livestock is key agricultural sector in all regions with GHG emissions arise from animals, manure, and soils

Stocktake shows more than 40% of all current researchis in livestock; two thirds funded by governments

• Almost all Alliance members participate

• Two subgroups:

Ruminants(rumen and soils) Non Ruminants

(manure)

Livestock – Goals & Benefits

Stocktake & inventories

Info & Techtransfer

Capabilitydevelopment

Networks &databases

Researchcollaboration

Policysupport

Common understanding Concerted actions

Livestock – Action Plan

Near-term actions:(achieved / in progress)

Stocktake analysis Best practice guides Technical manuals Collaborative projects Awards / fellowships Targeted networks Technical synthesis reports

Medium-term priorities:(planned for 2011/2012)

• Publish near-term action results• Update the Stocktake• Identify possibilities for joint research • Identify critical factors related to

GHG emissions• Identify options for measures • Operationalize our long-term ambition

Wellington Banff Clermont/Versailles Amsterdam

Croplands Group

• CoordinatorsUSA (Steve Shafer, Alan Franzluebbers)

• Sub-groupsManagement and net GHG emissions:

France (Guy Richard), USA (Charles Rice)

Emission of GHGs in agricultural peatlands and wetlands:Norway (Lillian Oygarden)

Models for C and N emissions: France (Sylvain Pellerin)

• Focus areasEstablish scientific teams; develop literature database; standardize protocols; initiate collaborative research

Croplands Group

• CoordinatorsUSA (Steve Shafer, Alan Franzluebbers)

• Sub-groupsManagement and net GHG emissions:

France (Guy Richard), USA (Charles Rice)

Emission of GHGs in agricultural peatlands and wetlands:Norway (Lillian Oygarden)

Models for C and N emissions: France (Sylvain Pellerin)

• Focus areasEstablish scientific teams; develop literature database; standardize protocols; initiate collaborative research

Croplands – Goals & Benefits• Benefits

Research that predicts

Research that supports decision-making

Research that explains

Croplands – Goals & Benefits• Benefits

Reduced GHG emission intensity from croplands while sustaining or increasing yields, through widely available decision-support tools

• Key near- and medium-term outcomesAction plan to guide projects; assessment of GHG emissions from different management systems; predictive capability of GHG emissions and soil carbon sequestration

• Critical success factorsBroad participation by scientists in member countries, including academic, private-sector, and other non-government partners

Croplands – Goals & Benefits• Benefits

Reduced GHG emission intensity from croplands while sustaining or increasing yields, through widely available decision-support tools

• Key near- and medium-term outcomesAction plan to guide projects; assessment of GHG emissions from different management systems; predictive capability of GHG emissions and soil carbon sequestration

• Critical success factorsBroad participation by scientists in member countries, including academic, private-sector, and other non-government partners

Croplands – Action Plan• Near-term actions

Establish working relationships among scientists

• Longer term actionsEvaluate success of different management practices to reduce GHG emissions across ecological conditions

• Achievements to dateScientific commitment, literature database, inventory of scientific activities across countries

• Support arrangementsGlobal Research Alliance Borlaug fellowships (USA)

Paddy Rice Group

• Rice is staple food for > 2 billion people

• Paddy rice cultivation systems have different GHG emissions than other cropping systems

• 18 countries are members of the paddy rice group

• Coordinated by Japan and Uruguay

• Stocktake shows currently 64 research projects underway in 16 different countries

− Two major topics: GHG accounting/LCA and agronomy− Two primary outcomes: mitigation and inventory

Paddy Rice Group

• Rice is staple food for > 2 billion people

• Paddy rice cultivation systems have different GHG emissions than other cropping systems

• 18 countries are members of the paddy rice group

• Coordinated by Japan and Uruguay

• Stocktake shows currently 64 research projects underway in 16 different countries

− Two major topics: GHG accounting/LCA and agronomy− Two primary outcomes: mitigation and inventory

Paddy Rice Group

• Rice is staple food for > 2 billion people

• Paddy rice cultivation systems have different GHG emissions than other cropping systems

• 18 countries are members of the paddy rice group

• Coordinated by Japan and Uruguay

• Stocktake shows currently 64 research projects underway in 16 different countries

− Two major topics: GHG accounting/LCA and agronomy− Two primary outcomes: mitigation and inventory

Paddy Rice Group

Paddy Rice – Goals & Benefits• Primary goal is limiting emissions of methane (CH4),

but trade-offs with nitrous oxide (N2O) and soil carbon will need to be considered

• Consideration of links between mitigation, productivity and adaptation: optimize relationship between CH4, productivity and water use

• Standardization of measurement techniques:- Survey to understand gaps in current methodology- Indicates potential to establish standard method for

developing national inventories and mitigation options

• Primary goal is limiting emissions of methane (CH4), but trade-offs with nitrous oxide (N2O) and soil carbon will need to be considered

• Consideration of links between mitigation, productivity and adaptation: optimize relationship between CH4, productivity and water use

• Standardization of measurement techniques:- Survey to understand gaps in current methodology- Indicates potential to establish standard method for

developing national inventories and mitigation options

Paddy Rice – Goals & Benefits

Category

Irrigated rice

Rainfed rice

Generic rice

Paddy rice – Action planImmediate • Standardize measurement techniques through identification of

“good practice” and knowledge / capability gaps • Develop database of relevant publications and experts at the

Global Research Alliance website• Increase country participation and partnerships with relevant

non-government research organisations and initiatives

Longer Term • Pilot multi-site/multi-country experiment focused on mitigation

options, using standardized experimental protocol

Paddy rice – Action planImmediate • Standardize measurement techniques through identification of

“good practice” and knowledge / capability gaps • Develop database of relevant publications and experts at the

Global Research Alliance website• Increase country participation and partnerships with relevant

non-government research organisations and initiatives

Longer Term • Pilot multi-site/multi-country experiment focused on mitigation

options, using standardized experimental protocol72%

2%

23%

2% 2%

Current sources of funding for research projects in the Paddy Rice Research Group

GovernmentIndustryInternational Private CompanyTertiary Organisation

Inventories and Measurement Cross-Cutting Group (CANADA / NETHERLANDS )Concentrate on addressing issues that affect and

benefit more than one Research Group• Complement and support the Research Groups• Further consistent methodological approaches

Information, knowledge, and data sharing• Inventory methods, common priorities for collaboration• Improve quantification of emissions and mitigation actions• Workshop, late 2011 in Canada (proposed)

Guidelines for measurements• Improve comparability, coherence, quality, verifiability

Soil Carbon-Nitrogen CyclesCross-Cutting Group(FRANCE / AUSTRALIA )Improved methodologies and models for mitigation

• Define common objectives across Research Groups• Build a common modelling platform from multiple models• Build collective expertise on applicability of models,

uncertainty and range of mitigation options

Workshops and activities to advance these goals:• First workshop (Orléans, March 3, 2011):

stock-take of C-N models and datasets• Second workshop (Leuven, July 2011):

model-data intercomparison, including hands-on training

The way forward

• Expected key achievements over next 12 months

Finalize action plans Publish outcomes from near-term actions Use stock-take to further refine actions of greatest benefit Establish new collaborative research projects Link with regional science and industry partners and

existing research and extension programmes Build capability & capacity

Fellowships: Borlaug (US), LEARN (NZ), GRASS (NZ)

The way forward

Livestock Research Group:Amsterdam, The Netherlands5-6 November 20116th Int. Symposium on Non-CO2

Greenhouse Gases

Croplands Research Group:San Antonio, TX, USA20 October 2011Annual Soil Science Society Int. Meetings

Soil C/N Cycling Cross-Cutting

Group:Leuven, Belgium13-14 July 2011

Int. Symposium on Soil Organic Matter

Paddy Rice Research

Group:Tsukuba, Japan

18 November 2011

Inventory and MeasurementCross-Cutting

Group:Mid-November 2011

Canada (proposed)