Food and climate

A massive 50% of the world’s available land is used for agriculture. This world food production produces 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Emissions from agriculture

The main emissions from agriculture are methane and nitrous oxide.

Methane comes from livestock during digestion and comes out in burps.

Nitrous oxide comes from fertiliser production.

Food waste is a huge concern. If food waste were a country, it would be the world’s third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases.

What is net zero?

By thinking about the food we eat and how it is produced we can help move Scotland towards net zero.

Agriculture in Scotland is a source of greenhouse gases. These emissions are mainly methane from livestock and manures, and nitrous oxide from soils and manures.

However agriculture in Scotland is also a sink for greenhouse gases. Soils including peatland, trees and grass can all capture and hold on (sequester) carbon dioxide.

Net Zero Hero quiz

Four UK crops you might be eating in 2035 | Sustainable Food TrustAs global temperatures and regional weather patterns continue to drastically change, posing a threat to global food security, we look at some of the crops that might fare well in the UK if temperatures continue to decrease and how these might also fit into a more sustainable farming system.

Climate change and Scottish food production

How we produce food in Scotland is not the same as how food is produced in other parts of the world.

Scottish farmers are very efficient and we make the most of all the grass we can grow. This means that we have lower emissions than other part of the world.

The Scottish Government has a long-term vision to transform how they support farming and food production in Scotland to become a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture.

🎲 Find out about dairy farm tech in Scotland using the links below:

For example, India is the largest milk producer in the world and a dairy cow living in India lives a very different life from a dairy cow in Scotland. Dairy cows in India produce less milk due to a variety of factors including breeding, climate and feeding. The Scottish dairy industry is very efficient and therefore has higher yields and lower carbon footprints.

There are around 278 million dairy cows in the world. If all dairy cows were as efficient as UK dairy cows we would get the same amount of milk from 76 million rather than 278 million dairy cows.

Where we found our information

Farmers weekly: Three diverse Indian dairy systems https://www.fwi.co.uk/livestock/dairy/three-diverse-indian-dairy-systems-compared#:~:text=Indian%20dairy%20farming%20in%20numbers&text=Around%2075m%20of%20these%20farmers,milk%20producer%20on%20the%20planet.

Food and agriculture organisation of the United Nations Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Dairy Sector https://www.fao.org/3/k7930e/k7930e00.pdf

Scottish Government: Lets do net zero https://www.netzeronation.scot/