GO SECUESVAC: Optimizing carbon sequestration in agricultural soils associated with beef production
- Type Grupo operativo
- Status In progress
- Execution 2024 -2027
- Scope Supraautonómico
- Autonomous community Asturias, Principado de; Madrid, Comunidad de
- Main source of financing PEPAC 2023-2027
- Project website GO SECUESVAC
The GO SECUESVAC project addresses the classification and characterisation of beef cattle farms that represent the sector in Spain, the creation of a sampling protocol and its application in the selected soils, the calculation of the representative carbon sequestration value for each typology in Spain, the identification of appropriate management practices to maximise soil sequestration, the development of a tool to record and obtain information on the carbon footprint and sequestration potential of soils associated with meat production, and making this application available to the sector.
This project responds mainly to two primary needs:
- The beef sector's response to social and political pressure in relation to its action to develop its own strategy, complementary to that required by the administrations, to contribute to mitigating climate change.
- The need to maintain and conserve the environment and the activity in which beef cattle production takes place in rural areas. This activity also provides a wide range of ecosystem services in our territory.
- Block 1. Typification of systems and selection of those farms that will finally be included in the sampling.
- Block 2. Analysis of the two main Soil Organic Carbon sampling protocols in Europe to extract the strengths of each methodology in order to be considered in the harmonised protocol to be developed. Training of members on the sampling protocol used. Sampling carried out on all participating farms.
- Block 3. Laboratory analysis of soils, obtaining carbon content, SOC (tC/ha), by group/typical system. Statistical analysis of the results and obtaining average data by typology.
- Block 4. Identification of the best techniques associated with optimizing carbon sequestration using all the information obtained to date. Development of guides on best techniques to increase carbon retention.
- Block 5. Design and development of a free tool for the beef sector, which will have two modules: a specific module for the analysis of ex ante carbon sequestration in relation to the soil organic carbon content (SOC, tC/ha), and another module in which the user can find out which Best Available Techniques (BAT) are available to the beef sector. The objective of this activity is to be able to estimate, after its implementation, the reduction in GHG emissions and their impact in terms of C sequestration.
- Block 6. Development of the application to obtain information on soils. Once validated, the App will be implemented in farms and companies in the sector, thus incorporating new users. Finally, the results obtained will be presented.
The planet is being affected by an increase in greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, due to anthropogenic emissions. There is a global awareness of the need to act to limit this rate of progress and reduce this concentration. At the international level, the 1979 World Climate Conference warned of this need, which materialized in 1990 with the Assessment Report on the State of the Global Climate of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
In 2015, at COP21 in Paris, the Parties reached a binding agreement to combat climate change and accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable, low-carbon future. The 2030 Agenda also addresses environmental issues, and proposes among its Sustainable Development Goals to adopt measures to combat climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in all sectors involved.
FAO is already working on assessing soils as carbon sources and sinks. In 2023, they developed the first Global Assessment of Soil Carbon in Grasslands. There is a European policy that requires countries to make progress in reducing emissions and sequestering carbon. The commitment to increase the absorption of 310 million tons of CO2 equivalent by 2030 stands out in this objective. According to the 2021 inventories, beef cattle generate 3.57% of GHGs (MITECO;2023).
Inventory values take into account only emissions associated with enteric fermentation and manure management. However, they do not take into account carbon sequestration.
Determine the carbon sequestration capacity of pastures, soils and crops associated with beef production, in order to optimize carbon sequestration, identifying good management practices and developing a decision support tool to quantify their carbon footprint and the sequestration potential of their farms.
- Characterisation of beef cattle farms. A list of the selected farms will be drawn up, from which information will be collected by means of a questionnaire. The information obtained will be integrated into a database. The sector will be able to have information that represents its management of manure.
- Harmonisation of the soil sampling protocol and carrying out of the sampling by the partners. An updated protocol will be generated and adapted to the characterisation of Spanish farms. Livestock farmers will acquire new knowledge and will be able to promote this type of practice to make its benefits known.
- Analysis of organic carbon content and obtaining a representative sequestration value by type. Participants will receive a report of the results obtained, and with this information a statistical analysis can be carried out in order to obtain representative data by type of exploitation, of a generic nature for the sector.
- Identify the most appropriate management practices to maximize carbon sequestration in pastures and in the application of manure. Good practice guides will be developed that will be useful for all livestock farmers and professionals in the sector, so that they can maximize carbon sequestration. Outcome
- Design and development of a carbon footprint and sequestration calculation tool using a Life Cycle Analysis approach. Livestock farmers will be able to access quantitative data on the carbon footprint associated with their type of farm, and will also be able to find out about the sequestration capacity of their soils.
- Implementation, validation and improvement of the tool to obtain information on soils associated with beef cattle farming. A module for calculating ex ante COS and incorporating MTD will be incorporated into the tool, in order to improve its carbon footprint and carbon sequestration results, thus having the possibility of reducing the level of its carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
- Implementation of the app in the sector. Incorporation of new users. The aim of the project as a whole is to provide a highly useful tool for the sector with which to measure the emissions generated and carbon sequestration capacity in the most accurate way, thus meeting the common goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Coordinator name: INTERPROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION OF BEEF - PROVACUNO
- Postal address: AVENIDA PIO XII, 6 - 3º, 28016, MADRID
- Coordinator email: administracion@provacuno.es
- Telephone: 917129125
Among the opportunities that this project incorporates we find:
- The participation of the Interprofessional and various cooperatives and associations in the sector means involving a significant number of technicians and producers, which facilitates co-innovation and the dissemination of results throughout the beef production sector. It is an opportunity to generate appeal for young people and women.
- The project is being proposed at a time when the European Commission is considering the objective of carbon sequestration in agricultural soils, within the framework of Objective 55. We are going to develop a useful tool for livestock farmers, but, at the same time, usable by administrations to evaluate carbon absorption in grazing and beef cattle fattening systems.
- We are going to develop a Guide to Good Practices to optimize carbon sequestration in the soil on beef cattle farms. Provacuno has set itself the objective of proposing to the Ministries of Agriculture and Ecological Transition its recognition as a BAT, once the tool has been evaluated, for inclusion in the ECOGAN.
- Within the framework of Objective 55, the Spanish Government, through the OECC, is promoting a draft Royal Decree that will include agricultural land as carbon sinks and, therefore, the carbon sequestration rights associated with a farm will have a market value and, once certified, will be presented to the administration to offset emissions. The results of this project can be used for this purpose, both by livestock farmers and by certifying bodies.
- The COM has recently launched its draft Regulation on environmental claims (COM, 2023 166 final) for different products, which will allow the environmental achievements of a value chain to be labelled. Producers could use the results of this project to give value to environmental best practices.
- ORGANIZACIÓN INTERPROFESIONAL DE LA CARNE DE VACUNO - PROVACUNO
- UNIÓN DE COOPERATIVAS ASOCIACIÓN GALEGA DE COOPERATIVAS AGROALIMENTARIAS - AGACA
- ASOCIACIÓN AGRARIA JÓVENES AGRICULTORES - ASAJA
- ASOCIACIÓN REGIONAL DE PRODUCTORES DE VACUNO DE CARNE DE CASTILLA Y LEÓN - ASOPROVAC CASTILLA Y LEÓN
- ASOCIACIÓN DE PRODUCTORES DE VACUNO DE CARNE CASTILLA-LA MANCHA - ASOPROVAC CASTILLA-LA MANCHA
- COOPERATIVAS AGRO-ALIMENTARIAS PRINCIPADO DE ASTURIAS, UNIÓN DE COOPERATIVAS
- GANADEROS DE MADRID SOCIEDAD COOPERATIVA MADRILEÑA, GANADEMAD
- ASOCIACIÓN DE CRIADORES DE RAZA BOVINA PARDA DE MONTAÑA - ARAPARDA
- Organización Interprofesional de la Carne de Vacuno - PROVACUNO
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