Agriculture Sector Emissions: A Growing Concern for Climate Change and the Economy

Strategic Insights -

The agriculture sector in the United States emits significant amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGs), primarily through crop production and livestock management, including poultry. With agriculture accounting for approximately 10% of total U.S. GHG emissions, the sector is a crucial contributor to climate change, affecting the economy and the federal budget. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has released a report highlighting the main components of agricultural GHG emissions, recent trends, and projections for future emissions.

Key Takeaways:

  • Agriculture is the nation's leading source of emissions of GHGs other than carbon dioxide (CO2), accounting for nearly half of the nation's total non-CO2 emissions.
  • Agricultural GHG emissions are mainly nitrous oxide and methane, which are much more potent than CO2 in trapping atmospheric heat.
  • The sector's nitrous oxide emissions mainly come from fertilizers used to produce crops, while most of its methane emissions are from livestock operations, particularly from collecting and storing manure and from the digestive emissions of cattle.
  • Agricultural GHG emissions have increased by about 7% since 1990 (mostly from greater livestock emissions), whereas agricultural production has increased by more than 50% and meat production has increased by about 75%.
  • Advances in agricultural technologies and livestock breeding, nutrition, and health have contributed to the much larger increase in agricultural production compared to the rise in the sector's GHG emissions.

Statistics:

  • Agriculture accounts for approximately 10% of total U.S. GHG emissions (measured by their capacity to trap atmospheric heat).
  • Agricultural GHG emissions are mainly nitrous oxide (45%) and methane (55%).
  • Nitrous oxide emissions from fertilizers used to produce crops account for about half of agricultural GHG emissions.
  • Methane emissions from livestock operations account for the remaining half of agricultural GHG emissions (mostly from collecting and storing manure and from digestive emissions of cattle).

Sources:

  • Congressional Budget Office (CBO)