Agriculture ranks as the second-largest source of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, contributing about 25% of the total. This sector’s emissions, primarily nitrous oxide (N₂O) and methane (CH₄), are highly potent.

1. Nitrous Oxide, N₂O, has a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 280 and lasts 120 years in the atmosphere, and
2. Methane, CH₄, with a 20-year GWP of 81 and a 12-year lifespan, is especially harmful as it also releases CO₂ and water vapor, and is a precursor to tropospheric ozone, which is hazardous to all terrestrial life forms.

Climate change driven by these emissions severely impacts agriculture, threatening food and nutritional security. Interestingly, agriculture is both a cause and a victim of climate change, but also offers solutions through sustainable practices in the form of Sustainable Agriculture.

However, quantifying the sustainability of “Sustainable Agriculture” practices is challenging due to a lack of reliable tools. There is a significant lack of reliable technical tools or calculators capable of measuring the carbon footprint of agricultural initiatives, particularly sustainable ones, along with their sustainability metrics.

At i-NoCarbon, we have been addressing this market gap with specialized solutions. Our search led us to the Inhana Organic Research Foundation (IORF) in Kolkata, a unique organization dedicated to R&D (Research and Development.) in Sustainable Organic Agriculture. Through our collaboration, we jointly developed the Sustainable Agriculture Carbon Footprint Assessment (SACFA) Toolkit, the first of its kind worldwide.

The SACFA Toolkit is built on the ACFA Version 1.0 developed by IORF. It assesses the carbon footprint of agricultural practices using the latest IPCC guidelines and empirical research. This tool guides sustainable agricultural systems, aiding in climate change mitigation. It is crucial for evaluating the sustainability of agricultural practices, promoting sustainable agriculture, and contributing to climate change mitigation efforts.

The SACFA Toolkit is continually updated by the technical teams from both organizations, reflecting new data from real-life projects. This development underscores our commitment to “Change Today for a Better Tomorrow” aiming to achieve critical UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) like SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).