Energy implications of the 21 st century agrarian transition
Rosa, Lorenzo (Institute of Energy and Process Engineering)
Rulli, Maria Cristina (Politecnico di Milano. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering)
Ali, Saleem (University of Queensland. Sustainable Minerals Institute)
Chiarelli, Davide Danilo (Politecnico di Milano. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering)
Dell'Angelo, Jampel (Vrije Univeristeit Amsterdam. Institute for Environmental Studies)
Mueller, Nathaniel D. (Colorado State University. Department of Soil and Crop Sciences)
Scheidel, Arnim (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Siciliano, Giuseppina (University of London. Centre for Development, Environment and Policy)
D'Odorico, Paolo (University of California. Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management)

Date:	2021
Abstract:	The ongoing agrarian transition from small-holder farming to large-scale commercial agriculture is reshaping systems of production and human well-being in many regions. A fundamental part of this global transition is manifested in large-scale land acquisitions (LSLAs) by agribusinesses. Its energy implications, however, remain poorly understood. Here, we assess the multi-dimensional changes in fossil-fuel-based energy demand resulting from this agrarian transition. We focus on LSLAs by comparing two scenarios of low-input and high-input agricultural practices, exemplifying systems of production in place before and after the agrarian transition. A shift to high-input crop production requires industrial fertilizer application, mechanization of farming practices and irrigation, which increases by ~5 times fossil-fuel-based energy consumption compared to low-input agriculture. Given the high energy and carbon footprints of LSLAs and concerns over local energy access, our analysis highlights the need for an approach that prioritizes local resource access and incorporates energy-intensity analyses in land use governance.
Grants:	European Commission 861509 Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca 2017/BP-00023
Note:	Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-M
Note:	Aquest article té una correcció a 10.1038/s41467-021-24752-y
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Environmental impact ; Sustainability
Published in:	Nature communications, Vol. 12 (April 2021) , art. 2319, ISSN 2041-1723

Correcció de l'article: https://ddd.uab.cat/record/256509
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22581-7
PMID: 33875657

9 p, 1.2 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles