Gene McAvoy
Extension Agent IV Emeritus, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
In March 2022, Winrock International released the Carbon Assessment of the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) in collaboration with the Everglades Foundation. The report estimated annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from sugarcane production in the EAA at 7.36 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (t CO2e), attributing emissions primarily to peat oxidation, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), cultivation practices, transportation, and canal methane emissions. While the report seeks to frame EAA agriculture as a major contributor to regional GHG emissions, a critical review reveals that it departs significantly from accepted greenhouse gas inventory methodologies, omits crucial historical and hydrological context, and relies on oversimplified assumptions and generalized data that overestimate emissions. This article systematically examines the Winrock Report’s methodology, identifies its shortcomings, and highlights the need for more robust, context-specific, and transparent approaches to carbon accounting in the Everglades Agricultural Area.
[1] EAA Farmers, 2018. Everglades Agricultural Area 2018 Pre-Harvest Celebration. Available from: https://rchattonfarms.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/EAA-2018-Pre-Harvest-Celebration.pdf (cited 10 October 2018).
[2] Court, C.D., Ferreira, J.P., Botta, R., et al., 2023. 2019 Economic Contributions of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Food Industries in Florida. January. Available from: https://fred.ifas.ufl.edu/media/fredifasufledu/economic-impact-analysis/reports/FRE_Economic_Contributions_Ag_Natural_Resources_Food_Industries_FL_Report_2019_WEB-(2).pdf. (cited 23 January 2023).
[3] Jones, L.A., 1948. Soils, Geology and water control in the Everglades Region. Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin No. 442 University of Florida.
[4] Izuno, F.T. A., 1989. Brief History of Water Management in the Everglades Agricultural Area. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Science Florida Cooperative Extension Service Circular 815. Available from: https://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/UF/00/01/44/86/00001/00003.pdf (cited 20 February 2023).
[5] LeMieux, G.S., Mize, L.E., 2018. Florida Made: The 25 Most Important Figures Who Shaped the State. The History Press: Gloucestershire, UK. pp 69–80.
[6] Florida Senate, 1905. FLORIDA STATUTES, Chapter 5377, May 27, 1905. The Florida Senate: Tallahassee, FL, USA.
[7] Bhadha, J.H., Wright, A.L., Snyder, G.H., 2020. Everglades Agricultural Area Soil Subsidence and Sustainability. Available from: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/SS523 (cited 3 March 2020).
[8] Rodriguez, A.F., Gerber, S., Daroub, S.H., 2020. Modeling soil subsidence in a subtropical drained peatland. The case of the everglades agricultural Area. Ecological Modelling. 415, 108859. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2019.108859
[9] United States Department of Agriculture(USDA): National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022. Crop Values 2021 Summary. Available from: https://downloads.usda.library.cornell.edu/usda-esmis/files/k35694332/gb19g8865/jd474051x/cpvl0222.pdf (cited 24 February 2022).
[10] Odero, D.C., Beuzelin, J.M., VanWeelden, M., et al., 2023. Florida Crop/Pest Profile: Sugarcane. Available from: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/PI207 (cited 20 February 2023).
[11] Couwenberg, J., Hooijer, A., 2013. Towards robust subsidence-based soil carbon emission factors for peat soils in south-east Asia, with special reference to oil palm plantations, Mires Peat. 12(1). Available from: http://pixelrauschen.de/wbmp/media/map12/map_12_01.pdf (cited 5 April 2023)
[12] IPCC, 2014. Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Available from: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/syr/ (cited 20 February 2023).
[13] Chamberlain, S.D., Gomez‐Casanovas, N., Walter, M.T., et al., 2016. Influence of transient flooding on methane fluxes from subtropical pastures. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences. 121(3), 965–977. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JG003283
[14] Cherry, R., 2014. Wireworms in Florida Sugarcane. ENY665. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences: Gainesville, FL, USA.
[15] Liu, G., Simonne, E.H., Morgan, K.T., et al., 2015. Soil and Fertilizer Management for Vegetable Production in Florida. Available from: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/CV101 (cited 20 February 2023).
[16] Roka, F.M., Alvarez, J., Baucum, L.E., 2009. Projected Costs and Returns for Sugarcane Production on Mineral Soils of South Florida, 2007-2008. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences EDIS document SC087. Available from: https://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/IR/00/00/34/17/00001/SC08700.pdf (cited 9 September 2009).
[17] Roka, F.M., Baucum, L.E., Alvarez. J., 2010. Costs and Returns for Sugarcane Production on Muck Soils in Southern Florida 2008–2009. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences EDIS document SCO88. Available from: http://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/IR/00/00/34/18/00001/SC08800.pdf (cited 13 March 2010).
[18] Sanchez, C.A., 1990. Soil testing and fertilization recommendation for crop production on organic soils in Florida. Available from: https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00086505/00001/images (cited 20 February 2023).
[19] American Association of Railroads, 2020. The Positive Environmental Effects of Increased Freight by Rail Movements in America. Available from: https://www.aar.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AAR-Positive-Environmental-Effects-of-Freight-Rail-White-Paper-62020.pdf#:~:text=In%202019%2C%20U.S.%20freight%20railroads%20moved%20one%20ton,to%20Omaha%20or%20New%20York%20City%20to%20Cleveland (cited 28 June 2020).
[20] United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), 2024. Scope 3 Inventory Guidance. Available from: https://www.epa.gov/climateleadership/scope-3-inventory-guidance (cited 20 February 2023).
Copyright © 2025 Gene McAvoy
This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.
