SECUESVAC Operational Group: Optimization of carbon sequestration in agricultural soils associated with beef production
- Type Operational group
- Status In progress
- Execution 2024 -2027
- Assigned Budget 548.889,00 €
- Scope Supraautonómico
- Autonomous community Asturias, Principado de; Madrid, Comunidad de
- Main source of financing CAP 2023-2027
- Project website GO SECUESVAC
Among the benefits of applying manure to the soil, the ability to retain carbon in the soil stands out, thus contributing to carbon sequestration and the reduction of greenhouse gases.
The mission of the project is to study carbon sequestration in Spanish lands dedicated to beef cattle and to generate a support tool for farmers and professionals in the sector that allows them to know the sequestration capacity of their soils and learn improvement techniques.
This project primarily addresses two key needs: the beef sector's response to social and political pressure to develop its own strategy, complementary to that required by government agencies, to contribute to climate change mitigation; and the need to maintain and conserve the environment and activities associated with beef production in rural areas. This activity also provides a wide range of ecosystem services in our region.
- 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 identify the strengths of each methodology for consideration in the harmonized 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/standardized system. Statistical analysis of the results and obtaining average data by typologies.
- Block 4. Identification of the best techniques associated with optimizing carbon sequestration using all the information obtained so far. Development of best practice guides to increase carbon retention.
- Block 5. Design and development of a free tool for the beef cattle sector, comprising two modules: a specific module for analyzing ex-ante carbon sequestration in relation to soil organic carbon content (SOC, tC/ha), and another module that allows users to learn about the Best Available Techniques (BAT) available to the beef cattle sector. The objective of this activity is to estimate, after implementation, the reduction in GHG emissions and its impact in terms of carbon sequestration.
- Block 6. Development of the application to obtain soil information. 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 increase and reduce these concentrations. At the international level, the 1979 World Climate Conference has been warning of this need, which was further solidified in 1990 with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Report on the State of the Global Climate. 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 problems, and among its Sustainable Development Goals, it proposes measures to combat climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in all sectors. The FAO is already working on assessing soils as sources and sinks of carbon. 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.
Key to this objective is the commitment to increase the absorption of 310 million tons of CO2 equivalent by 2030. According to the 2021 inventories, beef cattle generate 3.57% of greenhouse gas emissions (MITECO; 2023). These inventory figures only consider emissions associated with enteric fermentation and manure management. However, they do not account for carbon sequestration.
To 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.
- Result 1. Characterization of beef cattle farms. A list of the selected farms will be compiled, and information will be collected from them using a questionnaire. The information obtained will be integrated into a database. The sector will then have access to representative information on its manure management practices.
- Outcome 2. Harmonization of the soil sampling protocol and implementation of sampling by the partners. An updated protocol, adapted to the characteristics of Spanish farms, will be generated. Livestock farmers will acquire new knowledge and will be able to promote these practices to raise awareness of their benefits.
- Result 3. Analysis of organic carbon content and determination of a representative sequestration value by farm type. Participants will receive a report of the results obtained, and this information will be used to perform a statistical analysis to obtain a representative data point for each farm type, of a generic nature for the sector.
- Outcome 4. Identify the most appropriate management practices to maximize carbon sequestration in pastures and manure application. Good practice guides will be developed for all livestock farmers and professionals in the sector, enabling them to maximize carbon sequestration.
- Outcome 5. Design and development of a carbon footprint and sequestration calculation tool using a Life Cycle Assessment approach. Livestock farmers will have access to quantitative data on the carbon footprint associated with their type of livestock, and will also be able to determine the carbon sequestration capacity of their soils.
- Result 6. Implementation, validation, and improvement of the tool for obtaining information on soils associated with beef cattle farming. A module for calculating ex-ante soil organic carbon (SOC) and incorporating best-in-class data (BIT) will be added to the tool to improve its carbon footprint and carbon sequestration results, thus enabling a reduction in carbon emissions.
- Result 7. Implementation of the app in the sector. Incorporation of new users. The overall aim of the project is to provide the sector with a highly useful tool to accurately measure its emissions and carbon sequestration capacity, thus fulfilling the common goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Coordinator/Entity Name: INTERPROFESSIONAL BEEF ORGANIZATION - PROVACUNO
- Postal address: AVENIDA PIO XII, 6 - 3º, 28016, MADRID
- Email coordinator/entity: administracion@provacuno.es
- Telephone: 917129125
Among the opportunities this project offers are: The participation of the Interprofessional Organization and several cooperatives and associations in the sector involves a significant number of technicians and producers, facilitating co-innovation and the dissemination of results throughout the beef cattle production sector. It also presents an opportunity to attract young people and women.
This project arises as the European Commission sets the goal of carbon sequestration in agricultural soils, within the framework of Objective 55. We will develop a tool that is useful for livestock farmers, but also usable by government agencies to assess carbon uptake in grazing and beef cattle fattening systems. We will develop a Good Practices Guide to optimize carbon sequestration in the soil of beef cattle farms.
Provacuno's post-project objective, once the tool has been evaluated, is to propose its recognition as a Best Available Technique (BAT) to the Ministries of Agriculture and Ecological Transition, for inclusion in the ECOGAN (Spanish National Livestock Information System). Within the framework of Target 55, the Spanish Government, through the OECC (Spanish Office for Climate Change), is promoting a draft Royal Decree that will include agricultural soils as carbon sinks. Therefore, the carbon sequestration rights associated with a farm will have a market value and, once certified, can be presented to the administration to offset emissions. The results of this project can be used for this purpose by both livestock farmers and certification bodies.
The COM has recently launched its draft Regulation on environmental claims (COM, 2023 166 final) for various products, which will allow for the inclusion of environmental achievements across the value chain on product labels. Producers could use the results of this draft to highlight and promote best environmental practices.
- ORGANIZACIÓN INTERPROFESIONAL DE LA CARNE DE VACUNO - PROVACUNO
- 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
- Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario - NEIKER
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