“Worldwatch Institute. Vision for a Sustainable World. Agriculture is the 3rd largest contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions by sector, following the burning of fossil fuels for power and heat, and transportation.”
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Note from author: According to research, agriculture is the 2nd (or, 3rd) largest greenhouse gas emitter of all industries. This may be a surprise to many who are not aware of how and why agricultural production releases e.g. so much carbon dioxide. The main causes to agriculture releasing so much greenhouse gas emissions include:
- the release of nitrous oxide from different farming techniques
- fertilizer manufacture
- refrigeration
- post-production: storage and transport
(, & Annu. Rev. Environ. Resour. 37, 195–222(2012).).
Furthermore, according to FAO: Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use, there is a continuing growth in greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, with Asia being the largest emitter (44%), followed by the Americas (25%), Africa (15%), Europe (12%) and Oceania (4%). Livestock-related emissions from enteric fermentation and manure contributed almost 2/3 of total emissions:
- enteric fermentation (40%)
- manure left on pasture (16%)
- synthetic fertilizers (10%)
- paddy rice (10%)
- manure management (7%)
- burning of savannahs (5%)
(FAO. Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use).
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Anne-Maria Yritys 