Cool Farm Tool – Initial findings

The tool is applied to farm survey data from Vietnam and Indonesia, with a total of 4,500 surveys collected. The data collection process involves several steps, including cleaning and preprocessing the data, formatting it into CFT inputs, and running the CFT on all surveys using the Application Programming Interface (API). The CFT components include farm characteristics, crop characteristics, pesticides and herbicides, irrigation, fertilizers, and direct energy. The tool requires specific data inputs for each component, which are either collected directly from farmers or derived from external sources. For example, soil organic matter is estimated based on soil type and country-specific values, while pesticide application rates are replaced with country averages for missing data. Crop characteristics are a critical component of the CFT, with data inputs including production volume, area, soil organic matter, residue, and pesticides and herbicides. The tool assumes a default value of 1.72 to 5.16 for soil organic matter, based on the assumption of soil type Acrisols. Residue volume is estimated based on the volume of green bean produced, with a default value of 90% for husk residue and 35.6% for leaf litter. Pesticides and herbicides are another key component of the CFT, with data inputs including active ingredient, application rate, and type. The tool uses default values for missing active ingredient data, based on country averages of 20% in Vietnam and 30% in Indonesia. Application rates are replaced with country averages for herbicide and pesticide, with values of 10.3 kg/ha and 12.9 kg/ha for Indonesia, and 6.1 kg/ha and 5.3 kg/ha for Vietnam. Irrigation is also an important component of the CFT, with data inputs including method, allocation, and power source. The tool uses a direct energy component with average energy usage values for hose and pump systems, and assumes a share of plot irrigated of 100%. Power source is defaulted to the most emitting source, with diesel assumed as the default value. Fertilizers are another critical component of the CFT, with data inputs including type, application rate, and origin. The tool uses default values for missing fertilizer types, based on country-specific values. Inorganic fertilizers are mapped to available options in the CFT, with Calcium Nitrate used as a proxy for Potassium Nitrate. Organic fertilizers are considered as 0 emission, with compost selected under the residue management section. The CFT is a complex tool that requires careful consideration of various data inputs and assumptions. The tool's components and data inputs are designed to provide a comprehensive assessment of the environmental impact of farming practices, with a focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving sustainability.