This document discusses greenhouse gas emissions and mitigation plans related to agriculture in Africa. It finds that agriculture accounts for 64% of Africa's total greenhouse gas emissions. Within the agricultural sector, emissions from agricultural soils and enteric fermentation from livestock are the largest sources. The document reviews greenhouse gas inventory data and projections reported in countries' national communications to the UNFCCC. It identifies many potential mitigation options in agriculture and forestry for Africa, such as improved livestock management, agroforestry, and reforestation. Nationally appropriate mitigation actions being implemented in some countries are also summarized.
African Agriculture Emissions and Mitigation Plans
1. The African Context:
emissions, projections and mitigation plans
Alessandro Ferrara
MAGHG Team
Third FAO Regional Workshop on Statistics for Greenhouse Gas
Emissions Casablanca, Morocco 2-3 December 2013
2. Overview
1. The African Context: the importance of the agricultural sector
2. National Communications to the UNFCCC
3. Mitigation Actions
4. Total GHG Emissions, AFRICA
Waste
9%
Industrial Process
4%
Energy
23%
Agriculture
64%
Source: IPCC, 2007 – IV Assessment Report
5. Total Agricultural emissions by category in Africa
Prescribed Burning of Savannahs
13%
Field Burning of Ag.
Residues 1%
Enteric Fermentation
26%
Agricultural Soils
40%
Manure left on pasture
Manure applied to soils
Synthetic fertilizers
Burning crop residues
Drained organic soils
Manure Management
14%
Rice Cultivation
5%
Source: UNFCCC National Communications
6. Categories contribution to agricultural emissions, by country
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Field Burning of Agricultural Residues
Prescribed Burning of Savannas
Enteric Fermentation
Manure Management
Rice Cultivation
Agricultural Soils
Source: UNFCCC National Communications
7. Emissions/removals from LULUCF
Source
1.50
1.43
0.50
0.30
0.00
-0.91
- 0.81
Sink
Billions tonnes of CO2 eq
1.00
-0.50
-1.00
43 countries
-1.50
39 countries
23 countries
22 countries
Changes in Forest and Other Woody Biomass Stocks
Forest and Grassland Conversion
Abandonment of Managed Lands
CO2 Emissions and Removals from Soil
Source: UNFCCC National Communications
8. National Communications to the UNFCCC
COUNTRIES
INITIAL NATIONAL COMMUNICATION
SECOND NATIONAL COMMUNICATION
Published
GHGI reported year
Published
GHGI reported year
Algeria
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Côte d'Ivoire
2001
2005
2003
2001
1994
1994
1994
1994
2010
2000
2010
2000
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Egypt
Ethiopia
Gabon
Ghana
Kenya
Madagascar
Mali
Mauritania
Morocco
Namibia
Nigeria
Rwanda
Senegal
South Africa
Sudan
2000
1999
2001
2004
2001
2002
2004
2000
2002
2001
2002
2003
2005
1997
2003
2003
1994
1990
1990
1994
1990
1994
1994
1995
1995
1994
1994
1994
2002
1994
1990 to 1994
1995
2009
2010
1999 to 2003
2000
---
-2011
2011
2000
1990 to 2000
--
2010
2012
2008
2010
2011
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
--
2012
2010
2011
2005
2000
2000
--
Source: UNFCCC National Communications
11. Mitigation options in Africa
Agriculture
LULUCF
Agroforestry Practices
Sustainable native forest management and decreased soil
degradation
Improved post-harvest management to reduce burning of
farming wastes
Maintenance of non-timber forest product areas to serve as
buffers to mitigate desertification
Adequate use of crop sequences and appropriate use of
fertilizers
Sustainable management of national parks and wetlands
Improved varieties and biotechnology
Sustainable land use planning
Improved collection and storage of manure
Promotion of small afforestation/reforestation activities at the
community level
Improved technologies to reduce emissions from cattle
Increased areas of certified forest
Improvement in nutrition and genetics of grazing livestock
Reduction of forest fires
Animal breeding programs and usage of adapted species
REDD+ Initiatives
Effective utilisation of animal waste (in production of manure
and biogas)
Integrated Water Resource Management and Planning
Promotion of organic farming and minimisation of chemical
fertiliser use
Promotion of agroforestry activities
Promotion of growing upland rice as opposed to paddy rice
Sustainable biomass energy
Source: UNFCCC National Communications
12. Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs)
Country
Agriculture
Forestry
Cameroon
___________
REDD+ and CDM projects
Central African Republic
___________
Reforestation, Forest Management
Sustainable Farming
Sustainable management of forests
Cote d’Ivoire
Ethiopia
___________
Reforestation, national parks, wetlands
Gabon
___________
Afforestation, Agroforestry
Ghana
___________
Sustainable forestry, REDD+
Madagascar
___________
Large-scale reforestation, REDD+
Mali
___________
Reforestation, Afforestation
Mauritania
___________
Reforestation
Morocco
Farm land yield
improvement
Swaziland
Overall Agriculture
system improvements
Reforestation, Forest Fire Prevention
___________
Source: UNFCCC SBI, Bonn, June 2013
FCCC/SBI/2013/INF.12/rev.2
13. Concrete examples of NAMAs in Africa
Ethiopia:
Mitigation Actions
Reduction By
2030
(in Mt of
CO2eq)
Changed herd mix for more
efficient feed conversion
18
Improved feed, breeds, and
management
17
Reduced draught animals
population
4
Improved range management
40
Increased yields through
improved seeds, fertilizers,
and agronomic practices
Mitigation Actions
Reduction
By 2030 (in Mt of
CO2eq)
Agroforestry
4.2
Conservation tillage
1.1
Fire reduction in crop and
grasslands
1.2
3
Improved agronomic
management of soils
Kenya:
27
Morocco:
Mitigation Actions
Cropland Management
Reduction per year
(in Mt of CO2eq)
2.0
Source: National Planning for GHG Mitigation in Agriculture:
A Guidance Document (FAO MICCA Series N 7 , 2013)
14. Conclusions
• Agriculture is the dominant economic activity in
Africa.
• Useful information can be obtained from National
communications; national GHG inventories need to
be strengthen in terms of temporal coverage and
projections.
• Many mitigation options exist which can be further
developed within agricultural/forestry NAMAs.