Projects

Project description

To identify practices that reduce emissions and sequester carbon, farmers and other decision makers need to know the options available for specific production systems in specific locations, and they need to be able to compare the emissions associated with different choices. Obtaining and applying this information could be a specialized and time-consuming task, but the CCAFS Mitigation Options Tool (CCAFS- MOT) was designed to offers decision makers a shortcut. 

The tool estimates greenhouse gas emissions from multiple crops (e.g. barley, maize, sugar cane), crop groups (e.g. vegetables, legumes) and livestock based on data specific to different regions by bringing together several empirical models to estimate GHG emissions. CCAFS-MOT provides policymakers across the globe with the fast, accessible, and reliable information needed to make informed decisions about emissions reductions within agriculture.

Activities

The research team is committed to continually improving the tool based on the needs of its users. They are testing the tool with a variety of stakeholders and collaborating with other researchers to ensure that CCAFS-MOT provides decision-makers with accurate, relevant, and easy-to-use information. In recognition of the need for increasing gender equity, the project is targeting a minimum of 20-30% of workshop and webinar participants to be female scientists or policymakers. Your input is also welcome.

Expected outcomes

Policy advisors and agricultural extension services are supported on the choice of management practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) without risking crop yields.

Gender and youth

In recognition of the need for increasing gender equity, the project is targeting a minimum of 20-30% of workshop and webinar participants to be female scientists or policy makers.

Partners

• University of Aberdeen
• International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)
• University of Vermont’s Gund Institute for Environment
• Lead researchers are: Diana Feliciano, Jon Hillier, Dali Nayak, and Sylvia Vetter

More information

Download the CCAFS-MOT tool and the CCAFS-MOT guidelines for users. This version of the tool was updated in October 2018.

The CCAFS-MOT design team has released a beta version of the model for testing and host webinars with national planners, practitioners, researchers, and CCAFS project leaders to share the relevance of the tool to users and collect suggestions on how to improve the usability of the tool for the target users. 

For more information, please contact project leader Diana Feliciano, University of Aberdeen (diana.feliciano@abdn.ac.uk).

Funding

Funding for this project is provided by:

• CCAFS
• United Kingdom's Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
• United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

The project previously received support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).