Changes in farming practices could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70% by 2036
Published: August 6, 2021
Category: Regenerative Agriculture
Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory participated in a study that shows innovation in technologies and agricultural practices could reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from grain production by up to 70% within the next 15 years.
The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, identifies a combination of readily adoptable technological innovations that can significantly reduce emissions and fit within current production systems and established grain markets. It maintains that emissions could be reduced through digital agriculture, crop and microbial genetics and electrification. The goal: to drive the decarbonization of agriculture while supporting farm resilience and maintaining profitability and productivity.
The team used Argonne’s GREET model (the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies Model), a one-of-a-kind lifecycle analytical tool now used worldwide by government, industry, and the science community.
“Our study emphasizes the importance of a two-pronged approach—reducing farming emissions and maximizing soil carbon storage—to addressing the climate crisis through agriculture,” said Dan Northrup, lead author. “Practices that enhance soil carbon storage continue to gain momentum. Complementing this approach by developing and broadly applying emission reduction technologies, including seed genetics, is critical to achieving net negative production,” Northrup said.
Other participants in the research were Duke University, Michigan State, HHMI and Hi Fidelity Genetics, Soil Health Institute, and CIBO Technologies.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy
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Organic & Non-GMO Insights August 2021
