Advanced course
Greenhouse gas assessment and mitigation in agriculture: Concepts, methods and simulation tools
- 30 November – 4 December 2026
- Hybrid (Zaragoza, Spain)
- 976 716 000
- iamz@iamz.ciheam.org
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ADVANCED COURSE
The agricultural sector is responsible for about 10-12% of anthropogenic GHG emissions worldwide. Many studies have shown that there is potential to reduce GHG emissions and enhance soil carbon sequestration in agriculture. However, emissions in the agricultural sector are mostly biogenic and driven by multiple and interacting processes, which hampers reliable and robust estimates. Moreover, bridging the gap between scientific knowledge in GHG mitigation, decision-making, policy and incentive implementation remains challenging.
This course will provide knowledge on the processes underlying GHG emissions and soil C sinks, measuring methodologies and modelling tools in cropping systems. Methods for national GHG inventories and mitigation options analysis will be presented and practical work will be organised based on real case studies.
The course is jointly organised by the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM), through the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza (CIHEAM Zaragoza), the National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology of the Spanish National Research Council (INIA-CSIC), the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA), and the Red REMEDIA (Scientific network for greenhouse gas mitigation in the agroforestry sector), through the project REMEDIA+ funded by the AEI (RED2024-153949-E), and with technical assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Course objectives
The course will enable participants to:
- Gain knowledge of the international reporting processes of GHG emissions and C removal from agriculture.
- Develop better understanding of the sources and drivers controlling GHG emissions and carbon sequestration in cropping systems.
- Acquire an overview of state-of-the-art methods for measuring GHG emissions and soil C changes.
- Gather insights on the technical aspects on direct and indirect GHG mitigation strategies.
- Establish criteria for designing and improving national inventories.
- Improve skills in the use of simulation models and tools for estimating GHG emissions and soil C changes at different scales.
- Form a holistic view of available tools to support informed decision making.
- Build a comprehensive vision of the challenges and opportunities of C farming.
Course coordination
Registration
Applications must include the curriculum vitae and a copy of the supporting documents most related to the course subject. The deadline for the submission of applications is 12 July 2026. If places are available after this date, the deadline may be extended for candidates not requesting a scholarship that do not require a visa.
Applications from candidates requiring authorisation to attend the course may be accepted provisionally.
Registration fees for the course amount to 500 euro for face-to-face participation and 350 euro for online participation. This sum covers tuition fees only.
FAQs
Who should attend
The course is designed for professionals with a university degree and is specially oriented towards public and private planners and decision-makers, technical advisors, agronomists, environmentalists and R&D professionals involved in the management of the environmental effects of agriculture in a context of climate change. There are 25 places for face-to-face participation and 30 places for attendance online.
Guest lecturers
Álvaro-Fuentes, Jorge – EEAD-CSIC, Zaragoza (Spain)
Del Prado, Agustín – BC3, Leioa (Spain)
Klumpp, Katia – INRAE, Clermont Ferrand, (France)
Lugato, Emanuele – JRC, Ispra (Italy)
Milne, Eleanor – CSU, Fort Collins (USA)
Oliveri, Ramiro – MITECO, Madrid (Spain)
Sanz-Cobeña, Alberto – CEIGRAM-UPM, Madrid (Spain)
Schiettecatte, Laure-Sophie – FAO, Rome (Italy)
Course Format and Approach
The course will be held with face-to-face participation and through online, live sessions transmitted from the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza, in morning and afternoon sessions for one week, and will be given by well qualified lecturers from international organisations, and from universities and research centres in different countries.
Lectures are complemented by applied examples, practical work and debates. Practical sessions will be devoted to improving skills in the use of process-based models and interpreting their outputs and conducting the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of a crop. Furthermore, participants will work in groups to discuss and apply the methodology for national inventories of GHG emissions based on case studies. The course requires personal work and interaction among participants and with lecturers. The programme will be delivered in English.
Participants will be invited to provide a brief report about GHG mitigation initiatives in the cropping systems of their specific regions. These reports will be distributed to all participants and lecturers.
Scholarships
Candidates from Mediterranean CIHEAM member countries and GRA member countries in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, may apply during the registration process for scholarships covering registration fees and for scholarships covering the cost of travel and full board accommodation in Zaragoza.
Candidates from ASEAN countries, may apply during the registration process for scholarships covering registration fees for online participation.
Candidates from other countries who require financial support should apply directly to other national or international institutions.
Insurance
It is compulsory for participants in face-to-face modality to have medical insurance valid for Spain. Proof of insurance cover must be given at the beginning of the course. Those who so wish may participate in a collective insurance policy taken out by the Organisation, upon payment of the stipulated sum.
With technical assistance from
