Tunisian greenhouse gas emission and methane mitigation options

1 página. Trabajo presentado al: International Conference on Agricultural GHG Emissions and Food Security - Connecting research to policy and practice . Thünen Working Paper, No. 103, Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institut, Braunschweig, (2018). Berlín, Germany, 10-13 septiembre 2018.Most of world's rural population, especially in the Mediterranean areas, depends on livestock for their livelihood.To reduce poverty, fight hunger and ensure global food security, the increase of livestock production was adopted as a sustainable strategy. However, livestock industry, including the raising of cattle, sheep, goat, pigs and poultry and the manufacturing of meat and dairy products, is a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide. The six main GHGs which have a direct impact on climate change are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). Emissions of CH4, N2O, HFCs, PFCs and SF6 can be converted to CO2 equivalents. HFCs, PFCs and SF6 do not occur naturally in the atmosphere but have been introduced by human activities such as industry, agriculture and energy generation. For about a thousand years before the industrial revolution, the amount of GHG in the atmosphere remained relatively constant. However, since 1970 total concentration of GHG has increased by more than 80 % and since 1990 by 45 % to reach 54 Gt CO2eq. in 2013 against 49 Gt CO2eq. in 2010. In Tunisia, four complete greenhouse gas inventory operations have been carried out in the past, bringing the number of years of complete inventory to 5 years. According to the last inventory, Tunisia's net emissions reached 32.6 million tons of CO2 equivalent (tCO2) in 2012. Dominance was accorded to CO2 emission (69 %) followed by CH4 (21.9 %) and N2O (7.9 %). The same inventory revealed that agriculture, forest and use land (AFUL) are the major contributor to global GHG emission (11 million tons). Livestock contributes by 26 % of the global GHG issued from AFUL, principally in CH4 (2.6 million tons) and N2O (0.23 million tons) form. GHG emissions in Tunisia are projected to increase significantly in the future due to increased demand for agricultural products and changing consumption patterns (e.g., increased meat consumption). Therefore mitigation options of CH4 emission will be recommended as when as it has not result in an increase in the emission of other GHGs such as CO2 and N2O. We have to keep in mind that farmers will adopt the solution only if there is a positive economic impact on animal production and farm profitability.Peer reviewe