Projects

Latin America Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Network (LAMNET)

Current
PhD students from Latin America attended a short course on mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and GHG measurements in rice production systems and livestock. Photo: JL Urrea (CCAFS)

Project description

The new Latin America Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Network (LAMNET) is a regional subsidiary of the  Climate Food and Farming Research Network (CLIFF-GRADS), an international research network that helps to build the capacity of young researchers working on climate change mitigation in smallholder farming. The objective of the network is to enhance regional capacity to conduct mitigation research. It achieves this by linking researchers with doctoral students who wish to  participate in the Standard Assessment of Mitigation Potential and Livelihoods in Smallholder Systems (SAMPLES) project. The LAMNET network not only builds the capacity of young scientists, but it also generates novel climate change research on smallholder farming systems and the circular economy, and facilitates South-South knowledge exchange. It is a long-term investment in developing countries’ capacities to measure and mitigate climate change from agriculture and food loss and waste.

Activities

  • Small research grants to conduct climate change mitigation research in Latin America
  • Short courses
  • Webinar series on several topical issues related to climate change mitigation
  • Coordinating regional climate change mitigation research efforts  
  • Identifying and, in some cases, developing material on climate change mitigation for network members

Expected outcomes

This initiative increases the capacity of Latin American developing countries to quantify greenhouse gas emissions and develop low emissions agriculture options. The members of the network receive grants to conduct research on climate change mitigation in Latin America. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and knowledge on climate change mitigation options will be enhanced.

Gender and youth

The project aims to build research capacities of both male and female youth, from all socio-economic groups, to ensure that they have equal opportunities in their research careers and the region benefits from their diverse experiences. The research conducted through the network will also explore opportunities to promote gender equality.

Partners

This project/platform is led by CIAT. It is engaging several different partners in the policy, research, education and farmer extension space in Latin America and the Caribbean. It has engaged the following partners for previous project activities:

  • International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)
  • National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN), Managua, Nicaragua
  • National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), Balcarce, Argentina
  • National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), Manfredi, Argentina
  • Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
  • The University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia, sede Palmira, Colombia
  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellin, Colombia
  • The Colombian Corporation for Agricultural Research (AGROSAVIA)
  • Institute of Agriculture and Forestry Management and Certifcation (IMAFLORA)
  • World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF)
  • University of Vermont (UVM)
  • Rothamsted Research

More information

Articles in peer-reviewed journals:

Chirinda et al. 2019. Adequate vegetative cover decreases nitrous oxide emissions from cattle urine deposited in grazed pastures under rainy season conditions. Nature Scientific Reports.

Wassmann et al. 2019. New records of very high nitrous oxide fluxes from rice cannot be generalized for water management and climate impacts. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

Smith et al. 2019. How to measure, report and verify soil carbon change to realise the potential of soil carbon sequestration for atmospheric greenhouse gas removal. Global Change Biology.

González-Quintero et al. 2019. Technical and environmental characterization of Colombian beef cattle-fattening farms, with a focus on farm size and ways of improving production. Outlook on Agriculture.

Chirinda et al. 2019. Sustainable and Low Greenhouse Gas Emitting Rice Production in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Review on the Transition from Ideality to Reality. Sustainability.

Subbarao et al. 2017. Genetic mitigation strategies to tackle agricultural GHG emissions: The case for biological nitrification inhibition technology. Plant Science.

Chirinda et al. 2019. Novel technological and management options for accelerating transformational changes in rice and livestock systems. Sustainability.

Byrnes et al. 2019. Biological nitrification inhibition by Brachiaria grasses mitigates soil nitrous oxide emissions from bovine urine patches. Soil Biology & Biochemistry.

Selected media coverage:

For more information, please contact project leader Ngonidzashe Chirinda, CIAT (n.chirinda@cgiar.org).

Funding

Activities under this project have been funded by: