Soil-based carbon sequestration opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean

Code:
ATN/RF-18769-RG
Initiative:
Joint proyects
FONTAGRO Amount:
USD 200.000
Counterpart Amount:
USD 980.240
Execution time
48 Months
Total Amount:
USD 1.460.240
Participating countries:
Uruguay Uruguay Argentina Argentina Chile Chile Colombia Colombia Costa Rica Costa Rica United States United States
Funding source:
FONTAGRO Amount 14% Other agencies 19% Counterpart Amount 67%

Executive Summary

"Carbon sequestration" is defined as the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere and its storage in ecological sinks, such as soil organic matter. In this case, carbon sequestration will be quantified as changes in the soil organic carbon (SOC) pool. These changes can occur in response to changes in land management, such as increased use of fertilization, irrigation, or in response to changes in land use, such as the conversion of crops to afforestation.

Soils in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) could have a relevant role in SOC sequestration since, depending on their management, pastures and agricultural soils have potential as large SOC sinks. Beneficial management strategies are: inclusion of service crops in agricultural sequences, the integration of agricultural and livestock systems, the increase in the availability of water and nutrients (irrigation, fertilization, amendments), and the restoration of sown pastures and degraded natural pastures. In each country, the most effective strategy to increase the national stock of COS will depend on the expected sequestration rates and the area covered by such systems.

The objective of this project is to contribute to the design of land use and management with a high potential for SOC sequestration in agricultural production systems of LAC, while generating capacities in LAC for the quantification and monitoring of the SOC stock. This objective will be achieved through the development of a multi-agency platform that provides LAC countries with information to report their SOC inventories in TIER2.

The technological solution

Identification, and evaluation of strategies to intensify agricultural production systems in LAC with the potential for mitigating and adapting to climate change.

Results

The results of this project are:

1. References generated for the agencies in charge of reporting national GHG inventories in each country and for those agencies involved in the generation of NDCs and NAMAs.

2. Opportunity for the sequestration of COS identified, with potential for implementation as a NAMA evaluated in its potential economic and environmental impact for the five LAC countries participating in the project.

3. Staff trained to update their SOC stock reports and stock changes with the necessary quality in the time required by international agreements in the five participating countries in this project, and publish developed reference material for subsequent consultations.

Beneficiaries

The direct beneficiaries of the project will be the national entities of Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, and Colombia in charge of reporting greenhouse gas inventories, especially COS stocks, in the different participating LAC countries. Indirect beneficiaries are neighboring LAC countries with similar agroecosystems to those of the five participating countries.

Sustainable Development Goals

Zero Hunger Responsible consumption and production Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals

Main donors

Participating Organizations

Executor
  • Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA) - Uruguay
Co-executor
  • Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria (AGROSAVIA) - Colombia
  • Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIA) - Chile
  • Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) - Argentina
  • Instituto Nacional de Innovación y Transferencia en Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) - Costa Rica
Associated
  • MGAP - Uruguay
  • Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganadería y Pesca (MAGyP) - Argentina
  • International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) - Nicaragua
  • Universidad Estatal de Ohio (OSU) (OSU - The Ohio State University) - Estados Unidos

Graphics and data

Financing by country (in USD)
FONTAGRO Amount Other agencies Counterpart Amount

Geolocated Map

Researchers

Sponsors
BID
IICA
With the support of
Fondo Coreano de Alianza para el Conocimiento en Tecnología e Innovación (KPK)