New research shows US agriculture has potential to be greenhouse gas negative
Published by Emilie Grant,
Editorial Assistant
World Fertilizer,
US agriculture, with enhanced implementation of conservation practices and emerging technologies, has an opportunity to more than offset its carbon footprint while increasing farmer profitability and farm resiliency, according to a new report initiated by US Farmers and Ranchers in Action (USFRA) and published today by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST).
The report, 'The Potential for US Agriculture to Be Greenhouse Gas Negative,' was authored by 26 leading independent researchers and peer reviewed by the National Academy of Sciences. The findings are based on an analysis of scientific literature, computer simulations, and life cycle analysis estimates.
"US agriculture is helping to solve some of the world's biggest challenges, including feeding a growing population and sustaining livelihoods, all while reducing our impact on the planet," said USFRA Chair Michael Crinion, a farmer in South Dakota. "This report is further evidence of agriculture's enormous potential to do even more in the future."
The report outlines how combining reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from some agricultural activities with increased carbon sequestration in others could achieve GHG-negative agriculture. It also describes additional research needed to help accomplish this.
The researchers identified five areas offering the most significant opportunities to offset the roughly 10% of US GHG emissions contributed by agriculture, including soil carbon management, nitrogen fertilizer management, animal production and management, crop yield gap, and efficient energy use. Aggressive adoption of conservation practices in these areas has the potential to make the sector a carbon sink, the report found.
"We understand that farmers and ranchers in the US are the greatest innovators in agricultural production on the planet," said Dr. Marty Matlock, a professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Arkansas and a lead author of the report. "Our farmers have been aggressive at identifying challenges, seeking solutions and adopting new practices. That's one of the things that defines American agriculture — willingness to change. What this report gives us is a framework for moving forward."
Read the article online at: https://www.worldfertilizer.com/environment/14112024/new-research-shows-us-agriculture-has-potential-to-be-greenhouse-gas-negative/
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