The Nexus of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Agriculture Sector: Case of Turkey and China

Greenhouse gas emissions constitute the basis of global warming. One of the sectors contributing to the greenhouse gas emissions is the agriculture sector which accounts for 24% of the global greenhouse gas emissions. In this study, the effect of cattle husbandry, small ruminant husbandry, poultry husbandry, paddy production, which are the main causes of emissions in the agriculture sector, on agricultural CO2 release was investigated. The research covers the years 1991-2017 of Turkey and China. In the study, time-series analyses such as Augmented Dickey-Fuller Breakpoint Unit Root Test, Johansen Cointegration Test, Ordinary Least Square Regression, Full Modified Ordinary Least Square, Canonical Cointegrating Regression and Impulse-Response Analysis were used. According to the results of the analysis, the effects of cattle husbandry, small ruminant husbandry, and paddy production activities on agricultural CO2 emissions were statistically significant in Turkey. We determined that the most effective variable on agricultural CO2 emissions was cattle husbandry both in the long- and short-term. On the other hand, poultry farming had no statistically significant effect on agricultural CO2 emissions. According to the results of the analysis for China, all variables were statistically significant. As a result, it is important to adopt methods that will not cause environmental damage or will have minimal impact in determination processes of effective parameters on agricultural CO2. The government should determine the boundaries of agricultural production processes through legal arrangements and the relevant ministries should implement them seriously. To take these measures and implement them are seen as a necessity for a sustainable world and a sustainable agricultural sector.