Carbon footprint of grain production in China

Abstract

Abstract Due to the increasing environmental impact of food production, carbon footprint as an indicator can guide farmland management. This study established a method and estimated the carbon footprint of grain production in China based on life cycle analysis (LCA). The results showed that grain production has a high carbon footprint in 2013, i.e., 4052 kg ce/ha or 0.48 kg ce/kg for maize, 5455 kg ce/ha or 0.75 kg ce/kg for wheat and 11881 kg ce/ha or 1.60 kg ce/kg for rice. These footprints are higher than that of other countries, such as the United States, Canada and India. The most important factors governing carbon emissions were the application of nitrogen fertiliser (8–49%), straw burning (0–70%), energy consumption by machinery (6–40%), energy consumption for irrigation (0–44%) and CH4 emissions from rice paddies (15–73%). The most important carbon sequestration factors included returning of crop straw (41–90%), chemical nitrogen fertiliser application (10–59%) and no-till farming practices (0–10%). Different factors dominated in different crop systems in different regions. To identity site-specific key factors and take countermeasures could significantly lower carbon footprint, e.g., ban straw burning in northeast and south China, stopping continuous flooding irrigation in wheat and rice production system.