Calculation of the carbon footprint for family farms using the Farm Accountancy Data Network: A case from Lithuania

This study appraises the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for Lithuanian family farms based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines using Lithuanian emission factors from Lithuania’s National Inventory report (LNIR). Family farm activity data are derived from Lithuanian sample of the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) for 2016. The GHG emission profile for Lithuanian family farms includes the estimates for methane (CH4) from enteric fermentation of domestic livestock population, CH4 from manure management, direct and indirect nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from manure management, direct and indirect N2O emissions from managed soils, and carbon dioxide (CO2) from combustion of fuel. In Lithuanian family farms, on average, the key source categories of on-farms emissions were CH4 from enteric fermentation and N2O direct emissions from agricultural soils, as they together constituted 69.3% of the total emissions. The environmental pressures related to family farming were measured in terms of the Carbon Footprint (CF), which refers to the total amount of GHG produced by farming activities, and Carbon Intensity (CI) using a range of metrics including CI per land area, total output and Livestock Unit (LU). In 2016, CF stood at the average value of 57.8 t CO2eq farm−1, CI per UAA – 1.5 t CO2eq ha−1, CI per total output – 2.7 kg CO2eq EUR−1 and per LU – 6.0 t CO2eq LU−1. •Carbon footprint is estimated for Lithuanian family farms.•Farm-level data are applied.•Methane, nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide emissions are included.•Energy use is considered.•Carbon footprint is calculated for different farm size groups and farming types.