Before we discuss it further, do you know what a carbon footprint is? A Carbon footprint is the sum of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere as a result of our day-to-day activities, like eating, traveling, and using electricity and other simple activities. These activities produce greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide that have an impact to our earth.
We are all responsible for leaving a carbon footprint. A person in the United States contributes 16 tons of carbon footprint per year on average. Each of us contributes 4 tons of CO2 to the global carbon footprint. Each person’s carbon footprint should ideally be less than 2 tons, so that the Earth’s temperature does not rise by more than 2 degrees Celsius by 2050.
The total carbon footprint calculation is an estimate, not a precise amount; however, this does not imply that the calculated total carbon footprint is unreliable. The reason for this is that the total carbon footprint is calculated from the beginning to the end of each activity’s process. Plastic toys, for example, are a good example. The carbon footprint of plastic toys must be traced back to the beginning of the manufacturing process, not just the transportation of the toy from the factory to the market. These include the extraction and processing of oil used to make plastic, factory worker travel, and the use of steel clamps to package plastic toys. Each of these activities generates a carbon footprint, which is then used to estimate the total carbon activity.
In 2021, the World Resources Institute identified Indonesia as one of the top ten greenhouse gas emitters in the world. This gas is produced by a variety of human activities, including the use of fossil fuels, forestry, land and peat use, agriculture, peatland, waste, and industrial activities. The first two sectors mentioned earlier accounted for 73% of Indonesia’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2017.
Pandawa Agri Indonesia (PAI) found that the largest contributor to total carbon emissions globally comes from the agricultural sector. 14% comes from changes in land use, livestock and crop production.
Indonesia, as one of the agricultural countries, was even ranked as the fifth largest contributor to global emissions from the agricultural sector. In 2018, Indonesia was also the first country to contribute nearly 730 Mt CO2eq (billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent) to emissions. 30% of global emissions from agriculture come from Indonesia, Brazil and the India
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Sustainable agriculture is required to reduce total agricultural emissions. Sustainable agriculture not only solves the problem of the carbon footprint, but also meets the food needs of a growing population in the future. It is estimated that by 2050, there will be 10 billion people who will need to meet their food needs. To address these issues, the United Nations has set an agenda of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) focusing on 169 targets, which include sustainable agriculture.
In response to the SDGs agenda, the World Resource Institute has explained several solutions in the field of sustainable agriculture. Reduced greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural production is one of these. Greenhouse gas emissions are expected to rise by 7-9 gigatonnes per year or more by 2050. One of the main causes is rice cultivation.
Rice fields accounted for at least 10% of agricultural production emissions in 2010, primarily in the form of methane. To reduce emissions and resources in rice production, fewer methods must be used. Shortening the duration of field flooding, for example, can reduce water levels to decrease the growth of methane-producing bacteria. On some farms, this practice can reduce emissions by up to 90% while saving water and increasing rice yields.
Increased efficiency in the application of fertilizers can reduce the resulting carbon emissions. In 2010, emissions from fertilizers accounted for about 19% of total emissions from agricultural production. It has been shown that plants absorb only half of the nitrogen used as fertilizer. The remaining nitrogen that is not taken up by plants is emitted into the atmosphere or is carried away by runoff (particles that are on the surface).
The increase in greenhouse gas emissions from rice production cannot be separated from pesticide use. Reducing pesticide use and increasing the efficiency of agricultural cultivation will reduce carbon emissions from rice production. Pesticide reductant technology can reduce pesticide doses, resulting in less runoff from unabsorbed pesticide applications so it can can be absorbed optimally and does not float in the atmosphere.
The awareness of the carbon footprint we create also has a significant impact and affects many sectors. The agricultural sector is one sector that generates a large carbon footprint. However, agriculture also has great potential to help reduce the carbon footprint to prevent changes in the Earth’s climate, which is estimated to rise to 2 degrees Celsius by 2050.
Pandawa Agri Indonesia is currently implementing a series of technologies to help farmers, especially rice farmers in Nagekeo (Mbay) in the East Nusa Tenggara Province, to increase the production and productivity of their rice crops with an environmentally friendly farming approach. PPAI technology is a set of technologies that focus on growing crops (not just rice) by using environmentally friendly agricultural inputs and, of course, reducing the use of pesticides.
In adapting this set of technologies, the Pandawa Agri Indonesia team collaborated with the Nagekeo district government in providing direct assistance to farmers in the selection and application of certified seeds, the use of micro-fertilizers and silica fertilizers, straw decomposers, mycorrhizae, and reducing the use of pesticides through herbicide reductants and insecticidal reductant. This is in line with the sustainable development goals targets such as No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well Being, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Life on Land, and Partnership for the Goals.
Our fellow farmers in Nagekeo were also pleased to exchange ideas with us, Pandawa Agri Indonesia team (PAIoneers), who live side by side with them in Nagekeo. We exchanged ideas and learned about the latest developments in agriculture, especially how to farm in a more environmentally friendly way that still produces optimal crop quantity and quality. This makes farmers aware of the importance of maintaining the health of the soil, water and other components that support the rice itself.
Interestingly, it shows that we are all connected. The little things we do, like walking alongside farmers and sharing ideas with them, can change our mindset in ways that can have a big impact on our Earth. Without realizing it, little things do a great deal to help the future of our Earth. What other small steps can we take to save our Earth in the future?
Source :
- https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/apr/04/carbon-footprint-calculated#:~:text=Typically%2C%20a%20carbon%20footprint%20is,as%20vapour%20trails%20from%20aeroplanes
- https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/carbon-footprint-calculator/
- https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/apr/04/carbon-footprint-calculated#:~:text=Typically%2C%20a%20carbon%20footprint%20is,as%20vapour%20trails%20from%20aeroplanes
- https://www.bppt.go.id/berita-bppt/hadapi-perubahan-iklim-bppt-gandeng-korea-selatan-kembangkan-ekosistem-inovasi-teknologi-hijau
- https://www4.unfccc.int/sites/SubmissionsStaging/Documents/201811071654—CLI%20Submission%20Carbon%20Footprint.pdf
- https://www.fao.org/3/cb3808en/cb3808en.pdf
- https://www.wri.org/insights/how-sustainably-feed-10-billion-people-2050-21-charts
About Pandawa Agri Indonesia
Pandawa Agri Indonesia is the first life science based company from Indonesia and currently the only one company that has innovation in the development of pesticide reduction products (pesticides reductant). Starting from this innovation, Pandawa Agri Indonesia is committed to helping agricultural businesses to create an agricultural practices that is sustainable, environmentally friendly, safe for users, and also cost-efficiency.
For more information visit : Pandawa Agri Indonesia