The Forgotten Greenhouse Gas: Nitrous Oxide

Current systems to feed the world’s growing population have heavy implications for the environment. Agriculture accounts for up to 27% of human-related climate-warming emissions, with little regulation over or public knowledge on practices most strongly tied to greenhouse gas emissions. 

Nitrous oxide is the world’s forgotten greenhouse gas. While not as abundant in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, its global warming potential is nearly 300X that of CO2 over 100 years. Not only does nitrous oxide contribute to the greenhouse effect, it also depletes the ozone layer, removing the planet’s protection from harmful ultraviolet rays. 

Research published last month found that nitrous oxide emissions grew 40% from 1980 to 2020, accelerating climate change and threatening to undermine global efforts to keep warming under 2 degrees. 

The report from the Global Carbon Project published in Earth System Science Data demonstrated that the gas is accumulating in the atmosphere at a faster rate than any other time in human history. The culprit? Over half of all human emissions of nitrous oxide are connected to the use of nitrogen fertilisers in agricultural production. 

Research from the  IPCC in 2019 found that global fertiliser application on crops has increased ninefold since 1961, as farmers came under increasing pressure to boost yields in the face of population growth.

Using fertilisers so extensively has other environmental implications. Nitrogen in agricultural runoff can feed algae blooms that destroy ecosystems and create coastal dead zones. 

With no technology currently available to remove nitrous oxide from the atmosphere, the only way to slow the rate of the increase is to slow human emissions. 

Haller works with smallholders in Kenya and around the world to reduce reliance on chemical fertilisers while maintaining yields. With hundreds of regenerative agricultural techniques on the Haller Farmers App, the focus is on improving soil health and water conservation without adding fertilisers. 

Below are just some of the ways we help farmers get started on their soil health journey. To discover our full range of tips, tricks and information, download the Haller Farmers App. 

Agrichar: created by burning wood at high temperatures without air, agrichar is a highly stable form of carbon that locks nutrients and minerals into soil, and stops water logging. 

Composting: compost improves soil health, and leads to the production of stronger, healthier crops that can fight off bugs and diseases. Compost can be made from leftover organic material including plant waste and wood ash. A zero-cost effective soil health booster. 

Interplanting: growing one type of crop alongside another can work to improve soil health, and protect crops from the spread of the disease.