Greenhouse Gas Reduction Options in the 2007 Farm Bill

Two major global warming gases, methane and nitrous oxide, are emitted in large quantities by the U.S. agriculture industry (70% and 30% of total U.S. emissions, respectively). Conservation programs in the 2007 U.S. Farm Bill offer opportunities to decrease these emissions, as well as broadly address climate change. The technologies to mitigate GHG emissions exist, and farmers could stand to benefit from their implementation.

Evan Branosky’s latest policy note gives concrete recommendations that can make climate change a bigger priority in the Conservation Title of the upcoming Farm Bill. The second in a series of two Farm Bill Policy Notes looking at opportunities and reasons for the U.S. agricultural industry to participate in climate policy discussions, this note describes GHG mitigation opportunities in the agricultural sector, highlights some of the trade-offs of implementing them instead of other environmental practices, and lists options for addressing climate change within the Conservation Title of the 2007 Farm Bill.