How Denmark is mitigating green house gases and increasing production in the agriculture sector? Presentation by Landbrug Fodevarer from Agriculture and Rural Development Day (ARDD) 2011. Learning Event number 12, Session 2, Room D. Climate change and agriculture - Danish results and initiatives.

1. Climate change and agriculture
– Danish results and initiatives
John Hermansen,
Dept Agroecology
Aarhus University
Denmark
AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT DAY, DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA 3RD DECEMBER 2011

2. Livestock density in Denmark
(livestock units per ha)
Among the countries in the world with largest
proportion of land utilized for agriculture
Per ha agriculture land
• 1800 kg of milk
• 750 kg of pork
Livestock units (LSU) totally in 2003
Per ha cultivated land (excl. set-aside)
LSU/ha
LSU/ha
LSU/ha
LSU/ha
LSU/ha
LSU/ha
LSU/ha
AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT DAY, DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA 3RD DECEMBER 2011

3. Danish Agriculture
• Average size of holdings approx 70 ha
• Specialized farms
• Typical dairy holding
• 140 dairy cows with 9000 kg milk per cow
• Typical sow herd
• 360 sows each producing 28 piglets per year
AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT DAY, DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA 3RD DECEMBER 2011

4. Development in Danish agricultural
production (000’ ton/year)
1990
2000
2010
Agricultural
land,
%
of
total
65
63
62
Milk
4600
4600
4600
Beef
224
156
130
Pork
1444
1672
1900
Cereal
9200
9200
9100
AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT DAY, DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA 3RD DECEMBER 2011

5. Focus on agriculture and environment
for many years
• Ban on burning of straw on fields
• Action Plans for the aquatic Environment
• Ammonia Action Plan
• Action Plan for Joint Biogas Plants
• Environmental Approval Act for Livestock Holdings
• New Energy Policy Agreement, supporting biogas
• Agreement on Green Growth 2009: Reduction of the agricultural sector’s
emissions of greenhouse gasses.
AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT DAY, DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA 3RD DECEMBER 2011

6. Achievements in resource efficiency following
action plans for nitrogen use and manure handling
Year 1980 2010
Share of agricultural land, % 66 62
Production, 000’ t
• Milk 4900 4600
• Pork 1000 1900
Consumption, 000’ t
• Fertilizer N 400 210
• Feed N 80 70
AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT DAY, DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA 3RD DECEMBER 2011

7. GHG emissions from Danish agriculture
was markedly reduced 1990-2010
18
16
18
14
16
12
14
10 Kulstof
Carbon (net)
12
8 Lattergas oxides
Nitrous
CO2-eq (mill. ton)
10 Kulstof
6 Methane
Methan
8 Lattergas
4
6 Methan
2
4
0
2
1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050
0
1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050
AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT DAY, DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA 3RD DECEMBER 2011

8. Governmental initiative 2009 - Green
growth in the agricultural sector
• Further reduction of N to aquatic environment
• Reduced GHG emission 0.8 mill t/year
• Support to increased land for nature
• Agriculture as supplier of green energy
• Increased area with organic agriculture
• Support to environmental and climate friendly technologies
• Increased focus on high value food chains
• Work for greening the Common Agricultural Policy
AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT DAY, DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA 3RD DECEMBER 2011

9. Estimated effect of major measures on
GHG emissions (mill ton CO2-eq per year by 2020)
Present emissions from agriculture 10.0
Increased use of manure for biogas (less emissions and 0.8
saved fossil energy)
Short rotation willow crops and biomass from maintenance 0.5
of semi-natural lowland areas (saved fossil energy and soil
carbon)
After Dalgaard et al 2011
AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT DAY, DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA 3RD DECEMBER 2011

10. Example of management options to reduce
Green House Gas emissions in pork
Manure
Manure for biogas (2.0)
Feed
Energy stb.
pH reduction in manure
(2.7) Emisions stb.
Slaughter
Feed efficiency (2.8)
Denmark 2010 (3.1)
-1 0 1 2 3 4
kg CO2e - per kg pork
AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT DAY, DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA 3RD DECEMBER 2011

11. Management options to reduce environmental
impact of pork production, per kg carcass weight
Base Feed efficiency pH reduc. Biogas
2010 manure
Global Warming, kg CO2 e 3.1 2.8 2.7 2.0
Acidification, g SO2 e 56 51 31 56
Eutrophication, g NO3 e 243 220 217 236
Fossil energy, MJ 21 20 21 11
Land use , m2 5.8 5.3 5.8 5.8
AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT DAY, DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA 3RD DECEMBER 2011

12. Carbon sinks and sources in agriculture
Year 1990 2009
Net CO 2 emission, mill ton CO 2-eq
Cropland management 3.2 1.4
Grazing land management 0.3 0.2
Total 3.5 1.6
Forecast: stabilized soil carbon
Denmarks National Inventory Report 2011
AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT DAY, DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA 3RD DECEMBER 2011

13. Conclusion
• Agriculture has an important role in mitigating GHG-emission
• Increased resource efficiency is one key element that at the
same time reduce GHG and allows economic growth
• Targeted non-food biomass production may combine overall
environmental protection with energy production
• Agricultural practice can be changed to ensure long term soil
carbon sequestration
• The role of agriculture in climate change should be
acknowledged and initiatives to support this role should be high
on the agenda
AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT DAY, DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA 3RD DECEMBER 2011

14. Monitoring changes in soil carbon
from 1987 and onwards to stimulate to carbon sequestration practises
• 464 locations
• Three depths
• Determined by high
resolution GPS technique
AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT DAY, DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA 3RD DECEMBER 2011