Potentials of Carbon sink through afforestation ensuring food security and protecting the environment

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K21331
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 1101:Environmental analyses and evaluation, environmental conservation measure and related fields
• Research Institution: Ritsumeikan University
• Principal Investigator: Hasegawa Tomoko 立命館大学, 理工学部, 准教授 (60615524)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-08-31 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 気候変動緩和 / 植林 / 炭素吸収技術

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We quantitatively demonstrated how selecting forest types for afforestation can increase carbon sequestration without compromising global food and land sustainability using an integrated assessment model. The results showed that choosing carbon-intensive forest types for afforestation can increase carbon absorption by up to 25% compared to conventional forest types. However, if afforestation is implemented inappropriately on a large scale, the land-use efficiency for carbon removal would decrease compared to bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), leading to adverse effects on economic, food, and land systems. This could result in expanded land use for carbon removal, increased food prices, and higher hunger risks. These findings suggest the necessity of implementing carbon-intensive afforestation alongside other complementary measures.

Free Research Field

環境システム工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

植林は二酸化炭素除去の主要技術だが、食料と土地のシステムに悪影響を及ぼす可能性があると言われている中、本研究では、植林が不適切に実施されると、経済、食料、土地システムを悪化させ、炭素除去のための土地拡大や飢餓リスクの増大につながることを明らかにした。また、炭素集約型の森林を補完的な対策とともに導入することで、食料と土地の持続可能性への悪影響を軽減できることを明らかにした。