Methods for Measuring Greenhouse Gas Balances and Evaluating Mitigation Options in Smallholder Agriculture

This book will§provide standards and guidelines for quantifying greenhouse gas emissions from§smallholder agriculture and comparing options for climate change mitigation§based on emission reductions and livelihood trade-offs.§§Globally, agriculture§is directly responsible for 14% of annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and§induces an additional 17% through land use change, mostly in developing§countries. Farms in the developing countries of sub-Saharan Africa and Asia are§predominately managed by smallholders, with 80% of land holdings smaller than§ten hectares. However, our understanding of the effect smallholder farming has§on the Earth's climate system is limited.§§Greenhouse gas§measurements in agriculture are expensive, time consuming, and error prone. These challenges are exacerbated by the heterogeneity of smallholder§systems and landscapes. Concerns over methodological rigor, measurement costs,§and the diversity of approaches, coupled with the demand for robust information§suggest it is germane for the scientific community to establish standards of§measurements for quantifying GHG emissions from smallholder agriculture. A§standard protocol for use by scientists and development organizations will help§generate reliable data on emissions baselines and allow rigorous comparisons of§mitigation options. This book describes the approach developed by the CGIAR§Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS) and§partners.