Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agriculture

by Dave Nichols

I think most of us agree that we are causing the planet to warm up by releasing greenhouse gas into the atmosphere and that warming is a threat to our sustainability. Three quarters of the emissions are from energy usage in the form of electricity, heating, transportation, and industrial processes. The remaining quarter of greenhouse emissions comes from food production. Even though it is a smaller source, it is still significant. Further increase in food production by itself will lead to excessive global warming.

There are several ways to constrain the carbon emissions footprint from food:

1. One thing we can do on our own is reduce the amount of meat and dairy in our diet. Livestock, especially cattle, requires a large amount of land for animal feed. Twice as much land is used for animal feed than land for human consumption. Animals also generate greenhouse gas from methane they release from digestion as well as manure. The carbon footprint of beef is much greater than eating pork. And chicken has a lower footprint than pork. Therefore, changing the type of meat we eat can be helpful.
2. Encourage more sustainable farm practices. Overuse of pesticides and fertilizers may lead to short-term gains in productivity but will damage the environment over time. Slash and burn methods are used widely in some parts of the world, leading to high carbon emissions and loss of forests.
3. Reducing over consumption of food. Ten percent of the world’s population does not get enough calories but 40% of the population gets too many calories.
4. Reduce food loss and waste. Globally we lose about 20% of our food supply.
5. Things that matter less regarding emissions are eating locally sourced food and eating organic. Locally sourced foods are often produced less efficiently, and food transport has a comparatively small carbon footprint. Also, most foods are safe for consumption if the chemicals used in agriculture are used at low levels.

The idea for today’s social action minute came from an activity we had at a Climate Reality meeting. At that meeting we were each asked to sort a stack of cards. On each card an action was listed that one could take to reduce climate change. The cards were sorted in three columns by 1) actions that we currently take, 2) actions that we might want to take, and 3) ones that we would not want to do.

One of the cards suggested hosting a plant- based protein potluck. Members of our group agreed that that would be fun and informative. We are hoping that some of you may be interested as well. Unless there are any conflicts, we plan to have it here after the services on March 2. There is a sign-up sheet on the table in the back if you would like to take part.

Sources
Food production is responsible for one-quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions
https://ourworldindata.org/food-ghg-emissions
Climate Reality Leadership Training – Al Gore Presentation October 18, 2025
https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions