Agriculture is necessary to provide food for us to eat. However, by 2050, agriculture could produce up to 38 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, according to models. Currently, it produces 10 percent of all annual emissions. However, that is without factoring in fertilizer production.
It’s not just the U.S. The global food system is a primary source of GHG emissions, accounting for 30 percent. Researchers analyzed global food system emissions. Emissions from only the food system would cause the global temperature to rise by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius from 2051 to 2063. Reducing agricultural emissions would limit the rise in temperature.
How the Ag Industry Can Reduce Emissions
A report by the Boston Consulting Group recommends an 18 percent reduction in U.S. agriculture’s net emissions in 2030 and 57 percent by 2050. Achieving those goals requires stakeholder action:
- Designing policies, incentives, and business models that capture the value of sustainable agriculture
- Investing in R&D and innovation
- Empowering producers to adopt sustainable agriculture practices
- Leveraging purchasing power as governments, companies
- Ensuring the transition to sustainable agriculture is just and fair for producers and communities
Agricultural emissions include methane, the top contributor, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide. Methane emissions come mainly from livestock digestion and livestock manure. Nitrous emissions come primarily from applying fertilizer to soils and manure management. Carbon emissions come from converting lands to agricultural uses.
Capturing livestock manure with an anaerobic digester would reduce methane emissions. The digester has a roof to capture the gases that come off. The gas is then collected and used as biogas for electricity or as transportation fuel. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates biogas recovery systems would be feasible for more than 8,000 large dairy and hog operations. Those farms have the potential to generate almost 16 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy annually. They could also displace around 2,010 MWs of fossil fuel energy.
The use of digesters continues to increase. In 2023, digesters generated the equivalent of around 3.29 MWh of electricity. That same year, they reduced GHG emissions by 14.8 metric tons of carbon equivalent.
Reducing fertilizer use would decrease nitrous emissions. Good livestock grazing management can reduce emissions and enhance soil health. Cover crops and crop rotation are other ways to reduce emissions. They also reduce carbon emissions.
What Consumers Can Do
One of the ways to reduce global food system emissions is by adopting a plant-rich diet. This doesn’t mean becoming a vegetarian or vegan. It just means eating less meat. At least once a week, swap meat for a plant-based protein, such as tofu, beans, or lentils. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Nutritionists recommend eating five servings of them a day. When you eat meat, choose certified organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised, or humane meat.
Avoid food waste. The EPA estimates that the annual U.S. food waste and loss is equivalent to the annual carbon emissions of 42 coal power plants. That estimate doesn’t include the methane emissions from food waste in landfills. EPA data show that food waste is the most common landfill material, comprising 24 percent.
