Abstract

The environmental consequences of crop production are analyzed, including those manifested in the form of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from sources such as chemical and organic fertilizers applied to arable land, soil cultivation processes, rice fields, plant residues, and burning of crop residues. The quantitative indicators of GHG emissions for 1992 and 2017 of six countries with developed agriculture and vast territories—Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Russia, and the United States—are compared. The results of calculations carried out using the database of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO UN) show that all these countries have to a degree reduced GHG emissions per unit of production over 25 years. The largest reduction from 1992 to 2017 was achieved by Russia (49%), and the smallest, by Canada (8%). In 2017, in Australia, Brazil, Russia, and the United States, GHG emissions per unit of crop production amounted to 0.06–0.07 t of CO₂ equivalent per Mcal, while in Canada and China, it was 0.09–0.10 t of CO₂-equivalent per Mcal. The results of a comparative study show that Russia is able to implement a competitive advantage in the world agri-food markets, since it is currently a leading exporter of grain and oilseeds.