A study conducted at the University of São Paulo (USP) has examined the impact of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) – an integrated approach that includes methods and practices designed to make agriculture more sustainable and economically, socially and environmentally resilient – ​​on Brazil’s greenhouse gas emissions.

To find out how much CSA affects greenhouse gas emissions, scientists from the Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture (CENA-USP) and the Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ-USP) conducted a systematic review of works with measurements of greenhouse gases on land. The results of the study were published in an article published in the Magazine for cleaner production.

The study was conducted under the auspices of the Center for Carbon Research in Tropical Agriculture (CCARBON) and the Research Center for Greenhouse Gas Innovation (RCGI).

According to Wanderlei Bieluczyk, lead author of the article, the main finding was that “the conversion of degraded pastures and conventional croplands to CSA practices, especially integrated production systems, has significant potential to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, thanks to a reduction in emissions of intestinal methane (CH₄) per product (for example per kg of beef produced) and the function of the soil as CH₄ Bathroom sink.”

In an interview with ESALQ-USP’s communications department, Bieluczyk also pointed to the relative lack of data on greenhouse gas emissions measured locally in Brazil, “which makes extrapolation to all Brazilian biomes difficult.”

In key regions of the country, such as the north and northeast, there are few researchers and institutions working in this field. To fill this gap, infrastructure support and financial resources are needed to increase the number of studies in these places, he added.

He also stressed the urgent need for methodological improvements and research opportunities, including regular measurements of carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O) and agroecosystem carbon sequestration in multiple climate-smart systems over several years.

“This will enable reliable carbon footprint calculations and remove barriers to certification programs due to the lack of comprehensive data, allowing CSA systems to be included in the carbon market and other green finance mechanisms,” said Maurício Roberto Cherubin, second author of the article, professor at ESALQ-USP and deputy director of CCARBON.

The results are important to refine the national greenhouse gas inventory, serve as scientific evidence of the potential of nature-based solutions and support new strategies, projects and investments in Brazil, he concluded.