Spatially explicit global assessment of cropland greenhouse gas emissions circa 2020

Abstract Spatially explicit cropland greenhouse gas emission data are essential for identifying emission hotspots and guiding sustainable mitigation strategies. Here we develop high-resolution (5 arcmin) global maps of cropland emissions across 46 crop classes in 2020 by integrating sectoral datasets on synthetic fertilizer, manure, crop residue, in-field burning, rice cultivation and cultivated drained peatlands. Global croplands emitted 2.5 (95% CI 2.4–2.7) GtCO 2 e yr −1 , with drained peatlands (35%), rice paddies (35%) and synthetic fertilizer (23%) as the primary contributors. Four crops—rice, maize, oil palm and wheat—accounted for 67% of total emissions. Emission areal intensities averaged 2 MgCO 2 e ha − 1 globally, with higher intensities in Asia and Europe, where croplands also achieved high caloric productivity. Spatial correlations between emission intensity and production efficiency reveal geographic trade-offs between mitigation potential and food production. The resulting dataset establishes a unified global framework for a spatially explicit assessment of agricultural emissions and efficiency.