Climate change can make conditions better or worse for growing crops in different regions. Emissions from agriculture contribute to climate change and biodiversity loss. Regions with intensive agriculture, e.g. India, Belgium, Netherlands, and the Po-Valley, often suffer from air pollution and acidification/nitrification of the soil. In addition, these regions are often responsible for the release of methane emissions.
Methane, the second most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide, is emitted from cattle farms, rice paddies and the use of manure. Agricultural activities produce noteworthy ammonia and nitrogen oxides emissions. Ammonia is mainly emitted from stables and via the spreading of manure and use of fertilizers. Nitrogen oxides emissions mainly stem from fossil fuel combustion, while soil emissions are dominant in remote areas.
Objectives
The aim of the AGATE project is to advance the knowledge and dissemination of observation-based emissions in the agricultural sector by use of current space infrastructure. The five specific objectives of the project are:
- Satellite-derived emissions for the agricultural sector in designated areas.
- Attribution of the emissions per constituent to livestock and crops using land-use information.
- To provide nitrogen deposition services in areas for which ammonia emissions are provided.
- Development of long-term services.
- Co-design of AGATE services in a user-oriented approach.
It is foreseen that the increasing space infrastructure will be integrated into the service developed in AGATE based on the current space infrastructure. Long-term services are foreseen for entities assigned to inform, provide support and control the agricultural sector and help to achieve environmental objectives set out in the European Habitats Directive.
