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Identifying cost-competitive greenhouse gas mitigation potential of French agriculture

Author

Listed:
  • Pellerin, Sylvain
  • Bamière, Laure
  • Angers, Denis
  • Béline, Fabrice
  • Benoit, Marc
  • Butault, Jean-Pierre
  • Chenu, Claire
  • Colnenne-David, Caroline
  • De Cara, Stéphane
  • Delame, Nathalie
  • Doreau, Michel
  • Dupraz, Pierre
  • Faverdin, Philippe
  • Garcia-Launay, Florence
  • Hassouna, Melynda
  • Hénault, Catherine
  • Jeuffroy, Marie-Hélène
  • Klumpp, Katja
  • Metay, Aurélie
  • Moran, Dominic
  • Recous, Sylvie
  • Samson, Elisabeth
  • Savini, Isabelle
  • Pardon, Lénaïc
  • Chemineau, Philippe

Abstract

The agriculture, forestry and other land use sector are responsible for 24% (10–12Pg CO2e per year) of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide, with concomitant opportunities for mitigation. A scientific panel used deliberative methods to identify ten technical measures comprising 26 sub-measures to reduce GHG emissions from agriculture in France. Their abatement potential and cost are compared. The proposed measures concern nitrogen (N) management, management practices that increase carbon stocks in soils and biomass, livestock diets, and energy production and consumption on farms. Results show that the total abatement potential can be divided into three parts. One third of the cumulated abatement potential corresponds to sub-measures that can be implemented at a negative technical cost. These sub-measures focus on increased efficiency in input use including N fertilisers, animal feed and energy. The second third are sub-measures with moderate cost (<€25 per metric Mg of avoided CO2e). These sub-measures require specific investments or changes to cropping systems, but additional costs or lower incomes are partially compensated for by a reduction in other costs or by the production of other marketable products. The remaining third are high-cost sub-measures (>€25 per metric Mg of avoided CO2e). These require investment with no direct financial return, the purchase of particular inputs, dedicated labour time or involve production losses. Assuming additivity, the cumulated abatement is 32.3Tg CO2e per year in 2030, but only 10Tg (i.e. 10% of current agricultural emissions) when calculated under current inventory rules. This study confirms that a significant abatement potential exists in the agricultural sector, with two thirds of this potential at low or even negative cost. This is likely to be an underestimated as it is based on a status quo of the current agricultural system. Results also emphasise the need to upgrade inventory rules so that efforts to reduce emissions can be accounted for.

Suggested Citation

  • Pellerin, Sylvain & Bamière, Laure & Angers, Denis & Béline, Fabrice & Benoit, Marc & Butault, Jean-Pierre & Chenu, Claire & Colnenne-David, Caroline & De Cara, Stéphane & Delame, Nathalie & Doreau, M, 2017. "Identifying cost-competitive greenhouse gas mitigation potential of French agriculture," Environmental Science & Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 130-139.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enscpo:v:77:y:2017:i:c:p:130-139
    DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2017.08.003
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    Cited by:

    1. De Cara, Stéphane & Henry, Loïc & Jayet, Pierre-Alain, 2018. "Optimal coverage of an emission tax in the presence of monitoring, reporting, and verification costs," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 71-93.
    2. Dominique Desbois, 2020. "Economics of Agricultural Carbon Sequestration in Soils," Agricultural Research & Technology: Open Access Journal, Juniper Publishers Inc., vol. 24(3), pages 127-128, June.
    3. Hamelin, Lorie & Borzęcka, Magdalena & Kozak, Małgorzata & Pudełko, Rafał, 2019. "A spatial approach to bioeconomy: Quantifying the residual biomass potential in the EU-27," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 127-142.
    4. Andreas Meyer-Aurich & Yusuf Nadi Karatay, 2022. "Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Costs of Reduced Nitrogen Fertilizer," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-13, September.
    5. Huber, Robert & Tarruella, Marta & Schäfer, David & Finger, Robert, 2023. "Marginal climate change abatement costs in Swiss dairy production considering farm heterogeneity and interaction effects," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 207(C).
    6. Alletto, Lionel & Vandewalle, Aline & Debaeke, Philippe, 2022. "Crop diversification improves cropping system sustainability: An 8-year on-farm experiment in South-Western France," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    7. Pereira Domingues Martinho, Vítor João, 2020. "Comparative analysis of energy costs on farms in the European Union: A nonparametric approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    8. Pierre-Marie Aubert & Baptiste Gardin & Élise Huber & Michele Schiavo & Christophe Alliot, 2021. "Designing Just Transition Pathways: A Methodological Framework to Estimate the Impact of Future Scenarios on Employment in the French Dairy Sector," Post-Print hal-03653089, HAL.
    9. Kim, Daesoo & Stoddart, Nick & Rotz, C. Alan & Veltman, Karin & Chase, Larry & Cooper, Joyce & Ingraham, Pete & Izaurralde, R. César & Jones, Curtis D. & Gaillard, Richard & Aguirre-Villegas, Horacio , 2019. "Analysis of beneficial management practices to mitigate environmental impacts in dairy production systems around the Great Lakes," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    10. Yihui Chen & Minjie Li & Kai Su & Xiaoyong Li, 2019. "Spatial-Temporal Characteristics of the Driving Factors of Agricultural Carbon Emissions: Empirical Evidence from Fujian, China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-23, August.
    11. Piotr Gołasa & Marcin Wysokiński & Wioletta Bieńkowska-Gołasa & Piotr Gradziuk & Magdalena Golonko & Barbara Gradziuk & Agnieszka Siedlecka & Arkadiusz Gromada, 2021. "Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Agriculture, with Particular Emphasis on Emissions from Energy Used," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-20, June.
    12. Jiaxing Pang & Hengji Li & Chengpeng Lu & Chenyu Lu & Xingpeng Chen, 2020. "Regional Differences and Dynamic Evolution of Carbon Emission Intensity of Agriculture Production in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-14, October.
    13. Kemal Sarica & İlkay Dellal & Esin Tetik Kollugil & Erdinc Ersoy, 2023. "GHG Emission Mitigation of Turkish Agriculture Sector: Potential and Cost Assessment," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 28(7), pages 1-22, October.
    14. Yujie Huang & Yang Su & Ruiliang Li & Haiqing He & Haiyan Liu & Feng Li & Qin Shu, 2019. "Study of the Spatio-Temporal Differentiation of Factors Influencing Carbon Emission of the Planting Industry in Arid and Vulnerable Areas in Northwest China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-14, December.
    15. Pierre-Marie Aubert & Baptiste Gardin & Élise Huber & Michele Schiavo & Christophe Alliot, 2021. "Designing Just Transition Pathways: A Methodological Framework to Estimate the Impact of Future Scenarios on Employment in the French Dairy Sector," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-19, November.
    16. Yanqiu He & Hongchun Wang & Rou Chen & Shiqi Hou & Dingde Xu, 2022. "The Forms, Channels and Conditions of Regional Agricultural Carbon Emission Reduction Interaction: A Provincial Perspective in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-22, September.
    17. Marques, J.G.O. & de Oliveira Silva, R. & Barioni, L.G. & Hall, J.A.J. & Fossaert, C. & Tedeschi, L.O. & Garcia-Launay, F. & Moran, D., 2022. "Evaluating environmental and economic trade-offs in cattle feed strategies using multiobjective optimization," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    18. Safa Baccour & Jose Albiac & Taher Kahil, 2021. "Cost-Effective Mitigation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Agriculture of Aragon, Spain," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-19, January.
    19. Laure Bamière & Pierre‐Alain Jayet & Salomé Kahindo & Elsa Martin, 2021. "Carbon sequestration in French agricultural soils: A spatial economic evaluation," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 52(2), pages 301-316, March.
    20. Paria Sefeedpari & Rafał Pudełko & Anna Jędrejek & Małgorzata Kozak & Magdalena Borzęcka, 2020. "To What Extent Is Manure Produced, Distributed, and Potentially Available for Bioenergy? A Step toward Stimulating Circular Bio-Economy in Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-22, November.
    21. Hamelin, Lorie & Møller, Henrik Bjarne & Jørgensen, Uffe, 2021. "Harnessing the full potential of biomethane towards tomorrow's bioeconomy: A national case study coupling sustainable agricultural intensification, emerging biogas technologies and energy system analy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    22. Jiaxing Pang & Xiang Li & Xue Li & Xingpeng Chen & Huiyu Wang, 2021. "Research on the Relationship between Prices of Agricultural Production Factors, Food Consumption Prices, and Agricultural Carbon Emissions: Evidence from China’s Provincial Panel Data," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-11, May.
    23. Dupraz, Pierre, 2021. "Policies for the ecological transition of agriculture: the livestock issue," Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), vol. 101(4), January.
    24. Adela Sorinela Safta & Dumitru Nancu & Lavinia Popescu, 2022. "Interoperability Of Sustainable Measures Under The Common Agricultural Policy," Annals - Economy Series, Constantin Brancusi University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 5, pages 86-94, October.
    25. Zhen, Wei & Qin, Quande & Miao, Lu, 2023. "The greenhouse gas rebound effect from increased energy efficiency across China's staple crops," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).

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