KEY FINDINGS

LOW COST IMPLEMENTATION  1  GIVINGCarbon sequestration through bio-agriculture can remove the same amount of carbon from the atmosphere for less than 1% of the cost of existing emission reduction methods.

POTENTIAL FOR NATIONS WITH EXTENSIVE AGRICULTURAL LAND  IRRIGATIONCountries with extensive Agricultural land- Like Australia, Brazil and Argentina.have enormous emission reduction potential even without any government reductions.

  • LOW COST IMPLEMENTATION 2      givingWith a relatively small expenditure ($1 per capita/year) the world could improve on the current best practices to increase CO2-e sequestration, improve the yields of soil and fibre and develop infrastructure for implementation of a world agreement.
 
Economic Benefits For The World

 

The following table from the climate change calculator shows net benefits for the world. Different figures may be obtained by changing the input data.

budget table

Economic benefits are based on:

  • Gradual conversion of farmland to bio-agriculture.(2.5% per year),

  • Sequestering 3 tonnes of CO2-e/hectare/year into the soil (world average 3.62 tonnes CO2-e/ha/y).

  • Carbon Credit Incentive Benefits $5 in 2010, $40 in 2020, $60 in 2050 (US$) the financial benefits received for emission reductions by Government Measures.

  • In addition to carbon sequestration bio-agriculture creates substantial benefits, shared between humanity and the farmers.

 

Short term – 2010-2020 Net Benefits/Loss of Govt. measures =  – $2.099b,

                                         Net Benefits of Govt. measures + Bio-agriculture = $2,645b  Long term – In 2050 Net benefits of Govt measures = – $6,621b,

                                  Net Benefits of Govt. measures + Bio-agriculture =    $101,151b,

 

 

 

Economic benefits for individual countries

 

  • Poor countries with extensive agricultural land and low industrial emissions can, by using bio-agriculture, increase their yield two to three times and also receive sequestration benefits. They could obtain loans for conversion and infrastructure which can be repaid after 5 years out of their benefits - relieving poverty and supporting development.
uganda table

Table from the calculator showing the enormous emission reduction capacity of low emitting countries like Uganda

 

 

  • Developing countries with higher industrial emissions, could obtain loans for farm conversion and development and can repay out of increased yields and benefits.

 

  • Developed countries can pay the costs of 10% emission reduction by 2024 with the support of bio-agriculture and accumulate net benefits of about $100,000 billion by 2050

 

  • Countries with extensive Agricultural land- Like Australia, Brazil and Argentina.have enormous emission reduction potential even without any government reductions. - see example below

 

Example - countries with extensive agricultural land

 

Download the Interactive calculator for Australia.

input dataChange the input settings as follows: 1% Govt. reduction by 2020 and 4% by 2050, 1.5% per year land conversion and 2T of CO2-e/ha/y sequestration.

Even with almost no government reductions and a below average sequestration rate, Australia is still carbon neutral by 2049 while industries - power, aluminium, cement, transport - generate greenhouse gases without reduction.

table
Net Benefits by 2020 = $192 billion; ,

For Farmers: Net Benefits= $117ha/y.