Increasing Agricultural Productivity to Mitigate Greenhouse Gas Emission

Contrary to other sectors, agriculture is not only an emitter of greenhouse gases (GHG) but also a carbon sink. To grow more food with less impact on the climate, it is necessary to increase productivity while reducing agricultural GHG emissions. Managing plant nutrients more effectively is one of the solutions to manage such trade-offs. The fertilizer industry has an important role to play, in particular in the promotion of Fertilizer Best Management Practices and Integrated Soil Fertility Management. These best practices result in increased nutrient use efficiency while reducing emissions and maintaining soil fertility and yield increases, as demonstrated in a number of countries. Further research is, however, needed to address research gaps in GHG agricultural budgets, document comparisons between different cropping systems and across regions and devise new adaptation and mitigation strategies for climate-friendly agricultural production systems worldwide.