Kathryn Worth’s Post

American agriculture reduced greenhouse gas emissions by almost 2% from 2021 to 2022—the largest decrease of any economic sector. This was reported in the Environmental Protection Agency’s recently released Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2022. In this study’s data set, the largest source of agricultural emissions came from soil management—just over 5% of U.S. emissions overall. However, crop cultivation emissions totaled 319 million metric tons in 2022, down 1.7% from 2021.

Happy #EarthDay! Did you know that for farmers, ranchers, and foresters, every day is Earth Day? According to a recent study by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. agriculture represents just under 10% of total U.S. emissions when compared to other economic sectors. The good news is that agricultural emissions dropped 1.8% in 2022, which is the largest decrease of any economic sector and marks the lowest U.S. agricultural greenhouse gas emissions since 2012. This highlights the success and importance of voluntary, market, and incentive-based conservation practices that help farmers and ranchers access finances for the research and technology needed to take even better care of our natural resources. Farmers and ranchers are committed to growing the food and fiber America’s families rely on while improving the land, air, and water, which benefits both the farm and the climate. Let us continue to support and invest in sustainable agriculture practices for a better future. The latest numbers should serve as inspiration to lawmakers who can build on this progress by passing a farm bill, which not only provides a safety net for farmers but also helps invest in sustainable agriculture practices for a better future. #EarthDay #SupportAgriculture #FarmersAreTheUltimateLandStewards #AgricultureConservation #LandStewardship #FoodSecurityIsNationalSecurity

Our latest blog: "Eating into ETS", sees Institute for European Environmental Policy UK (IEEP UK), Executive Director,  Ben Reynolds interviewing our Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) colleagues Julia Bognar and Krystyna Springer about their work on this a potential new policy avenue for the European Commission on food and farming. It raises some crucial questions of today's agricultural emissions landscape, such as: 🤔 Could food and farming be part of an emissions trading scheme in the UK in the future? 💰 Could this benefit nature-friendly farmers with additional revenue if effectively targeted? 🌽 How might this work in the UK, and, is anyone else working on this? Read the blog in full on our website 👇 https://lnkd.in/eu9SvVF3 #EuropeanUnion #UnitedKingdom #AgricultureAndFarming #EmissionsReduction #Food

An excellent summary of our paper proposing a somewhat radical shift in policy to incentivise farmers towards practices that support water quality improvement in Irish agriculture captured by eolas Magazine. Our proposal is framed around a cap-and-trade framework. Still, it essentially advocates a system of reducing the inherently complex bureaucracies and considerable paperwork common with past and recent agricultural schemes. It envisages payments to farmers within a catchment proportional to water quality outcomes. Rather than national limits, we propose bespoke nitrate and phosphate limits based on catchment assimilative capacity (catchment nitrates quotas). Trading quotas between farmers within catchments would facilitate the development of the most efficient or intensive farms without impinging on water quality.

Our World in Data How effective are policies in reducing the environmental impacts of agriculture? All countries now have policies, but not all work as intended. Some drive trade-offs or lead to spillover impacts elsewhere, but there are many examples of successful stories.

Fossil Fuels: Is Agriculture Accommodating Reduced Dependence? - https://lnkd.in/gB9ZxDR2 Claire Williams Agriculture Myth Busting The Canadian government has spent years reworking their federal environmental frameworks to accommodate changing sustainability standards. In 2023 for instance, as the government transitioned from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, intervention focused on, among other guiding traits from the Guelph Statement, reducing emissions and increasing sequestration. Yet, the environmental footprint of agriculture is not a priority when one compares to market performance and therefore these federally implemented frameworks have not done enough practical work for the fossil fuel-dependent industry that continuously increases its annual emissions. Combined with the structure of Canadian agriculture

As the United States agricultural system faces the challenges of feeding a growing population, adapting to climate change, and reducing environmental consequences, the concept of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) was established as a comprehensive strategy to help address these issues.

New Internal Revenue Service guidance on the Sustainable Aviation Fuel tax credit calls for the use of no-till and cover crops. By adopting conservation practices now, you can be sure your corn and soybeans will be the right input for ethanol producers. Agroecology + Innovation Matters thanks the resilient producers who are putting in the needed effort to build healthier soil and protect our waterways. Please share the positive impacts of conservation agriculture. https://lnkd.in/gU6dhzTT #AIMillinois #TakeAIM #conservation #illinoisagriculture #sustainablefarming #regenerativeagriculture #regenerativefarming #regenerativefarm #agvocacy #agriculture #farmer #illinois #farmersofillinois #sustainability #covercrops #soilhealth #farming #farm #agriculturelife #conservationchampions #notill #notillfarming

The European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change has highlighted the need for new engagement from policymakers in the name of the climate crisis. One of the key points outlined by the advisory board involves the reduction of agricultural emissions. Ottmar Edenhofer, chair of the advisory board, has stated that the agriculture sector is where a lack of progress is 'most notable.' In 2023, McKinsey & Company released a report detailing twenty-eight measures to support decarbonisation in farming, that would still create value for the industry and farmers. The second point of the twenty-eight was the use of biologicals, such as microbes, insects, and plant extracts. The use of #biocontrol solutions indeed provides numerous environmental benefits: it boosts #biodiversity and supports soil quality and health, thus taking us one step towards reaching Green Deal goals. Read the McKinsey report here: https://lnkd.in/euW2pqHf #GreenDeal #Environment #Agriculture #Farming #Sustainability #Biologicals

🌍 At #CropLifeEurope, we believe in the power of bridging sustainability and agriculture. When asked how can agriculture be supported within the boundaries of our planet and its ecosystem – we had three things to say in reply to the Strategic Dialogue on the future of EU agriculture: 1️⃣  Alignment is crucial. For sustainable agriculture within our planet's boundaries, the EU needs to align policies with global environmental objectives like the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Climate Change Convention, and Global Biodiversity Framework.  2️⃣  We support outcome-based policies. EU initiatives should foster an outcome-based framework, triggering innovative solutions and building sustainable partnerships throughout the agri-food chain.  3️⃣  Flexibility is key. Effective policies should capitalise on the diverse potential of European agriculture, offering farmers the flexibility to tailor their approach. We consider the various agricultural practices as complementary, and discourage the pursuit of prescriptive or one-size-fits-all models. 📑 Our full answer here:  https://lnkd.in/dYtxtnmY #sustainability #agriculture #agtech #EU #policy #strategicdialogue #farming #farmers