Towards net zero in agriculture: Future challenges and opportunities for arable, livestock and protected cropping systems in the UK

Sakrabani, Ruben; Garnett, Kenisha; Knox, Jerry W.; Rickson, R. J.; Pawlett, Mark; Falagán, Natalia; Girkin, Nicholas T.; Cain, Michelle; Alamar, M. Carmen; Burgess, Paul J.; Harris, J. Arthur; Patchigolla, Kumar; Sandars, Daniel L.; Graves, Anil; Hannam, Jacqueline; Simmons, Robert W.

doi:10.1177/00307270231178889

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…On the other hand, PESTLE analysis, an instrumental framework, serves as a means of discerning and assessing the external elements that exert influence upon an entity or enterprise. It derives its terminology from the following features: Political, Economic, Sociocultural, Technological, Legal, and Environmental factors [5,40]. This analytical tool is indispensable in affording organizations insight into the macro-environmental forces that possess the potential to influence their functioning and necessitates the formulation of corresponding strategies for their mitigation.…”

Section: Objectives Of the Studies References Integrated Mcdm Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Strategic Analysis for Advancing Smart Agriculture with the Analytic SWOT/PESTLE Framework: A Case for Turkey

Uztürk,

Büyüközkan

2023

Agriculture

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In the contemporary discourse, smart agriculture (SA) stands out as a potent driver for sustainable economic growth. The challenges of navigating SA transition are notably intricate in developing nations. To effectively embark on this transformative journey, strategic approaches are imperative, necessitating a thorough examination of the prevailing agricultural ecosystem. This study seeks to formulate strategies that advance Turkey’s agricultural sector. The primary research questions focus on optimizing the benefits of SA by aligning strengths and opportunities with diverse socio-economic and environmental factors, while also exploring effective strategies to mitigate the impact of weaknesses and threats within the agricultural landscape. To achieve this objective, the utilization of the 2-Tuple linguistic (2TL) model integrated DEMATEL (Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) methodology in conjunction with SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) and PESTLE (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, Environmental) analyses is proposed. The integration of linguistic variables enhances the capacity to delve deeper into system analysis, aligning more closely with human cognitive processes. The research commences with SWOT and PESTLE analyses applied to Turkey’s agricultural sector. Subsequently, the 2TL-DEMATEL approach is employed to investigate interrelationships among analysis components. This inquiry aims to establish causal relations, facilitating the derivation of relevant strategies. The case study centers on Turkey, a developing country, with outcomes indicating that the highest-priority strategies revolve around addressing ‘environmental threats’ and ‘economic weaknesses’. The subsequent evaluation encompasses eight dimensions, resulting in the generation of fifteen distinct strategies, a process facilitated by collaboration with field experts. Importantly, both the results and strategies undergo rigorous validation, drawing upon insights from the recent literature and field experts. Significantly, these findings align seamlessly with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), substantiating the study’s broader significance in fostering a sustainable future for Turkey.

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Section: Objectives Of the Studies References Integrated Mcdm Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Strategic Analysis for Advancing Smart Agriculture with the Analytic SWOT/PESTLE Framework: A Case for Turkey

Uztürk,

Büyüközkan

2023

Agriculture

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“…Burak and Sakrabani (2023) reported novel approaches in formulating OMF using carbon capture technology resulting in fertilisers which resulted in crop yield comparable to mineral fertilisers. This recycling of organic waste promotes a circular economy and provides a sustainable source of nutrients that will both feed the crops and act as a tool for the re-introduction of organic matter into agricultural soils (Sakrabani et al, 2023).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Tackling food security is vital to address the increasing global population. Circularity in use of resources is key in sustainability and this article adopts this approach and will set the way to a new approach that adopts technology to turn underutilized resources (such as manure, crop residue, digestate) into valuable products such as organo-mineral fertilisers (Sakrabani et al, 2023). This Perspective article covers agriculture, crop and soils, natural environment, food security and the wider landscape.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Opportunities and challenges organo-mineral fertiliser can play in enabling food security

Sakrabani

2024

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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Food security is a growing challenge related to an increasing global population. The agricultural sector is key for a secure supply of food but relies up to 50% on mineral fertilisers to meet crop nutrient demands. As mineral fertilisers production is energy intensive, causing close to 2% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, this poses greater challenge to meet net zero targets. Other challenges include extreme weather patterns, GHG during fertiliser applications and diffuse pollution, declining soil health, pest, disease, and loss of soil biodiversity. As mineral fertilisers’ price increases and the state of soil health decreases, innovative solutions are needed to meet crop nutrient demands while ensuring that sufficient organic matter is conserved in the soil. One solution to achieve net zero in agriculture can be in the form of organo-mineral fertilisers (OMF). OMFs are a new concept that take organic feedstock (such as biosolids, livestock manure, crop residues, food waste) and combines them with reduced amounts of mineral fertilisers resulting in a balanced fertiliser product. This Perspective piece discusses a Strength-Weakness-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) analysis on OMF and summarizes how OMF applications can play a role to improve food security. This is further linked with short, medium and long terms policy interventions that can be deployed to achieve a more sustainable approach by balancing between protecting the wider environment and meeting food security.

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“…There is an urgent need to minimise the negative impacts of agriculture on the environment, with the aim to achieve net zero GHG emissions becoming increasingly critical (Sakrabani et al 2023). Despite the implementation of strategies which aim to reduce environmental N pollution (i.e., Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (UK Government 2021) and 4R Nutrient Stewardship -right source, rate, time and place (Nutrient Stewardship 2017)), GHG emissions from agriculture, particularly N 2 O, remain high (Tian et al 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nitrous oxide and methane fluxes from plasma-treated pig slurry applied to winter wheat

Lloyd,

Grayson,

Galdos

et al. 2024

Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst

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The use of livestock waste as an organic fertiliser releases significant greenhouse gas emissions, exacerbating climate change. Innovative fertiliser management practices, such as treating slurry with plasma induction, have the potential to reduce losses of carbon and nitrogen to the environment. The existing research on the effectiveness of plasma-treated slurry at reducing nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) emissions, however, is not comprehensive, although must be understood if this technology is to be utilised on a large scale. A randomised block experiment was conducted to measure soil fluxes of N2O and CH4 from winter wheat every two hours over an 83-day period using automated chambers. Three treatments receiving a similar amount of plant-available N were used: (1) inorganic fertiliser (IF); (2) pig slurry combined with inorganic fertiliser (PS); (3) plasma-treated pig slurry combined with inorganic fertiliser (TPS). Cumulative N2O fluxes from TPS (1.14 g N m−2) were greater than those from PS (0.32 g N m−2) and IF (0.13 g N m−2). A diurnal pattern in N2O fluxes was observed towards the end of the experiment for all treatments, and was driven by increases in water-filled pore space and photosynthetically active radiation and decreases in air temperature. Cumulative CH4 fluxes from PS (3.2 g C m−2) were considerably greater than those from IF (− 1.4 g C m−2) and TPS (− 1.4 g C m−2). The greenhouse gas intensity of TPS (0.2 g CO2-eq kg grain−1) was over twice that of PS (0.07 g CO2-eq kg grain−1) and around six times that of IF (0.03 g CO2-eq kg grain−1). Although treating pig slurry with plasma induction considerably reduced CH4 fluxes from soil, it increased N2O emissions, resulting in higher non-CO2 emissions from this treatment. Life-cycle analysis will be required to evaluate whether the upstream manufacturing and transport emissions associated with inorganic fertiliser usage are outweighed by the emissions observed following the application of treated pig slurry to soil.

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Towards net zero in agriculture: Future challenges and opportunities for arable, livestock and protected cropping systems in the UK

Cited by 7 publications

References 47 publications

Strategic Analysis for Advancing Smart Agriculture with the Analytic SWOT/PESTLE Framework: A Case for Turkey

Strategic Analysis for Advancing Smart Agriculture with the Analytic SWOT/PESTLE Framework: A Case for Turkey

Opportunities and challenges organo-mineral fertiliser can play in enabling food security

Nitrous oxide and methane fluxes from plasma-treated pig slurry applied to winter wheat

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