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The prerogative of sustainability has risen to prominence in the agricultural industry, with grain producers, manufacturers and suppliers witnessing a renewed demand for sustainably grown products across various markets (Bonini, 2021). Indeed, consumers are now willing to pay a premium for sustainably grown produce, thereby signalling the importance of sustainability and climate reform to the average stakeholder. For example, to meet these consumer expectations, grain producers are switching to regenerative agriculture practices as a sustainable alternative to the traditional crop production process (Kastner, 2016). Although proving to be an effective path towards reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, sustainable agriculture may not in itself reverse the effects of climate change. Relevantly, such practices fall short of addressing the other sources of GHG emissions inherent in the modern food production supply chain that continue to have an adverse effect on our climate. This article thus seeks to approach the general idea of sustainability more holistically by exploring the various sources of GHG emissions and their prevalence in the grains value chain process. By doing so, this article aims to propose a more effective framework to measure and achieve sustainability targets.
The Inequality of GHGs
Contrary to common assumption, not all GHG emissions have the same adverse impact on our changing climate. This is evident by analysing the varying global warming potential(s) of the naturally occurring emissions in the grains industry: carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. Interestingly, even though nitrous oxide accounts for less than a third of the total GHG emissions in the food production process, it’s negative impact on the environment is far more consequential. This is due to its ability to trap heat at a significantly greater rate, which creates a global warming potential 256 times greater that of carbon dioxide. (Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development [DPIRD], 2021). Alternatively, methane, which accounts for the majority of GHG emissions in the crop production process, has a global warming potential 28 times that of carbon dioxide (DPIRD, 2021). Therefore, for us to effectively reach net-zero emissions, we need to first focus on reducing emissions that have the greatest global warming potential(s). In the grains/agricultural space, this involves finding sustainable alternatives to soil preparation and manure management, which currently are the largest sources of nitrous oxide and methane emissions in the crop production process (DPIRD, 2021).
Cross-Sector Interplay
Further to the above, it is also crucial to note that current measures of GHG emissions in the grains production process fails to take into account the emissions generated from non-agricultural activities, which are nonetheless integral to its value chain process (DPRID, 2021). Particularly, the emissions released from transporting produce to the end buyer and using fuel to generate electrical energy for food processing are usually unaccounted for in calculating the overall GHG emissions released during the crop production process. As a result, we are impaired from accurately measuring the overall emissions associated with the grains supply chain, thereby invoking a false sense of victory in our losing war with climate change.
Climate reform and our push towards net-zero emissions has permeated the corporate strategy of companies across the grains industry. Although promising, in order to effectively tip the scales of achieving sustainability in our favour, we must address climate change from a more holistic and informed perspective. This involves taking into consideration the varying effects of different GHG emissions, and the emissions from other sector-related activities.
References
Bonini, A. (2021, June 8). The Rise in Demand for Sustainable Goods. MarshMcLennan. Retrieved from https://www.brinknews.com/the-rise-of-demand-for-sustainable-goods/
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. (2021). How Australia accounts for agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. Canberra, Australia.
Kastner, R. (2016). Hope for the future: how farmers can reverse climate change. Social. Democracy 30, 154–170. doi: 10.1080/08854300.2016.1195610
