A monitoring, reporting and verification system for low carbon agriculture: A case study from Brazil

• Published in: Environmental science & policy Vol. 140; pp. 286 - 296
• Main Authors: Perosa, Bruno, Newton, Peter, da Silva, Ramon Felipe Bicudo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2023
• Subjects: Brazil; Certification; Governance; MRV; MRV; Brazil; Governance; Certification
• ISSN: 1462-9011; 1873-6416
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2022.12.006

Low carbon agricultural techniques, which aim to reduce agricultural emissions without compromising productivity, are being widely adopted as one strategy to promote more sustainable food systems. Evaluating the impact of such practices requires an effective monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) system. To our knowledge, no MRV system has been designed or implemented for monitoring and measuring the impacts of the adoption of low carbon agricultural practices. The goal of this paper is to explore the opportunities and challenges of developing a large scale MRV system for low carbon agriculture in Brazil - a major global food producer. The analysis presented in this paper is based on primary data, collected through interviews and conversations with experts, and secondary data from a literature review as well as from public and private databases. Hence, we discuss the three phases of monitoring, reporting and verification. In each case, we analyze the informational needs of an MRV system, evaluate the strengths and limitations of available tools to collect and process these data, and present a vision of how these constituent parts could form a comprehensive MRV system for Brazil. Our analysis reveals technical and governance challenges. On the technical side, challenges include the need to develop emissions factors to calculate mitigation across a range of biomes and low carbon agricultural techniques, and the high costs of gathering and verifying information on farm level. On the governance side, there is a need to generate economic incentives for farmers to share private, farm-level data with a public MRV system. The MRV system could help producers to demonstrate adoption and mitigation, giving them improved access to low-interest credit or certification programs. We conclude that the implementation of a large scale MRV system for low carbon agriculture demands an integrative approach based on a hybrid public-private governance system that prioritizes cost-effectiveness and facilitates smooth information transfer. •Low carbon agriculture needs Monitoring Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems for measuring and reporting GHG emissions.•We propose an MRV system for Brazil, a country that has huge mitigation potential due to its agricultural activity.•Primary farm-level data about adopted techniques could be combined with remotely-sensed and secondary data about land use.•A hybrid public-private governance strategy could reduce costs and create incentives.•Brazil’s case is a relevant benchmark for MRV systems in other countries.