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Does carbon farming provide a cost-effective option to mitigate GHG emissions? Evidence from China

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  • Tang, Kai
  • He, Chuantian
  • Ma, Chunbo
  • Wang, Dong

Abstract

In this study, we apply a whole farm bioeconomic analysis to explore the changes in land use, farm practices and on-farm greenhouse gas (GHG) emission under varying levels of agricultural greenhouse gas abatement incentives in the form of a carbon tax for a semi-arid crop-livestock farming system in China’s Loess Plateau. Our results show that the optimised agricultural enterprises move towards being croppingdominated reducing on-farm emission since livestock perform is the major source of emission. Farmers employ less oats-based and rapeseed-based rotations but more dry pea-based rotations in the optimal enterprise mix. A substantial reduction in on-farm greenhouse gas emission can be achieved at low cost with a small increase in carbon incentives. Our estimates indicate that crop-livestock farmers in China’s Loess Plateau may reduce their on-farm GHG emission between 16.6 and 33 per cent with marginal abatement costs <￥100/t CO2e and ￥150/t CO2e in 2015 Chinese Yuan. The analysis implies that reducing greenhouse gas emission in China’s semi-arid crop-livestock agriculture is potentially a low-cost option.

Suggested Citation

  • Tang, Kai & He, Chuantian & Ma, Chunbo & Wang, Dong, 2019. "Does carbon farming provide a cost-effective option to mitigate GHG emissions? Evidence from China," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 63(3), July.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:aareaj:333790
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.333790
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