Measuring and Mitigating GHGs: Soy

The document examines the GHG footprints of soy production, emphasizing that land-use change (LUC) is the primary driver of emissions. It details emissions from farm-gate activities, processing, and transport, while comparing production systems and regional impacts, particularly in South America. Mitigation priorities focus on preventing deforestation and improving tillage and fertilizer practices.

• Land-use change (LUC) is the dominant contributor to the GHG footprint of soy, with global averages from deforestation alone estimated between 1.2 and 1.6 kgCO2e/kg SB.
• GHG emissions from soy vary significantly by region due to deforestation and habitat conversion; for example, farm-gate emissions in Brazil and Argentina are 2.9 and 2.4 kgCO2e/kg SB respectively, but drop to 0.47 and 0.41 kgCO2e/kg SB when LUC is excluded.
• On-farm emissions excluding LUC typically range from 0.7 to 0.8 kgCO2e/kg SB, with primary sources being fertilizer production, soil emissions (N2O and CO2), and diesel use for machinery.
• Tillage practices significantly influence emissions; conventional tillage has average farm-gate emissions of 0.9 kgCO2e/kg SB (excluding LUC), while no-till systems average 0.6 kgCO2e/kg SB and reduced tillage averages about 0.2 kgCO2e/kg SB.
• Post-farm emissions include crushing and transport, with ground transportation in Brazil averaging 0.19 kgCO2e/kg SB due to heavy reliance on road transport over an average distance of 1,456 kilometers.
• The most critical mitigation priority is preventing deforestation and other habitat conversion, as these are the largest sources of emissions. Other potential interventions include intercropping, reducing tillage, and precision agriculture.

APA

Parajuli, R., Langford, Q., Tong, D., Moberg, E., & Thoma, G. (2022). Measuring and Mitigating GHGs: Soy. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/212/4a8ktqu76j_soy_final.pdf

Chicago

Parajuli, Ranjan, Quinn Langford, Daniel Tong, Emily Moberg, and Greg Thoma. Measuring and Mitigating GHGs: Soy. WWF International, 2022. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/212/4a8ktqu76j_soy_final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Parajuli |first1=Ranjan |last2=Langford |first2=Quinn |last3=Tong |first3=Daniel |last4=Moberg |first4=Emily |last5=Thoma |first5=Greg |title=Measuring and Mitigating GHGs: Soy |publisher=WWF International |date=19 September 2022 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/212/4a8ktqu76j_soy_final.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{parajuli2022measuring, author = {Parajuli, Ranjan and Langford, Quinn and Tong, Daniel and Moberg, Emily and Thoma, Greg}, title = {{Measuring and Mitigating GHGs: Soy}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2022}, month = sep, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/212/4a8ktqu76j_soy_final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }