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Stay up to date on major announcements, exciting collaborations, and more.Visit our Newsroom
We make it simple for anyone to plant trees, and together we can make an incredible impact. Learn more
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See how your support and leadership can help us fund reforestation efforts across the globe. Learn more
Become a business partner to improve your company’s sustainability initiatives and make an impact. Learn more
See how your support and leadership can help us fund reforestation efforts across the globe. Learn more
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Comprised of lesson plans, learning modules, resources, and activities, our T.R.E.E.S. School Program is the perfect addition to your curriculum. Learn more
Read about stories from the field, interesting facts about trees and get your healthy dose of nature. Visit our blog
Comprised of lesson plans, learning modules, resources, and activities, our T.R.E.E.S. School Program is the perfect addition to your curriculum. Learn more
Our fan-favorite Reforestation T-Shirt. Wear it with pride to show your support of reforesting our planet, one tree at a time. Shop now
Give the gift that lasts a lifetime! Choose an image, write your personalized message and select a delivery date to gift a tree. Gift a tree
Our fan-favorite Reforestation T-Shirt. Wear it with pride to show your support of reforesting our planet, one tree at a time. Shop now
Give the gift that lasts a lifetime! Choose an image, write your personalized message and select a delivery date to gift a tree. Gift a tree
As the effects of climate change become more profound and observable, it’s worth taking a close look at how agriculture and climate change impact each other — and what we can do about it. The top 3 greenhouse gases that drive climate change are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). We also know they're all emitted by the activities of the agricultural sector.
In 2022, the US EPA reported that the agricultural sector was responsible for 10% of the country's greenhouse gas emissions that year, representing an 8% increase from 1990. While this is lowest of the top 5 greenhouse gas emitters in the United States, it represents a significant emissions contribution.
Globally, that percentage is slightly higher, with the World Resources Institute (WRI) estimating that agriculture accounted for a cumulative 12.3% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2020.
The science is clear: the food we eat and the ways we produce it are significantly contributing to the climate crisis. To stop compounding the problem, we must reduce our greenhouse gas emissions from the agriculture sector — and we must do it soon.
We’re sure you’ve heard that cows produce methane, and while the average meat carbon footprint can be substantial, there’s actually a lot more to it than that. Meat producers clear vast swaths of forest (sometimes by starting forest fires) to graze their livestock, and give them specialized feed to prepare them for the market — in fact, 70-75% of all soybeans grown go directly into feed for cattle, poultry, pigs, and farmed fish.
On our current trajectory of population growth, there will be around 10 billion people on the planet by 2050. Without any increase in productivity, the World Resources Institute found that we would need an additional 593 million hectares (or two Indias) of global agricultural land area to feed the world.
A recent study by the University of Oxford found that people that eat a plant-based diet produce approximately 75% less greenhouse gas emissions than those who consume more than 3.5 ounces of meat a day. Growing food for a vegan diet is also significantly less harmful to land, water and biodiversity.
The study also found that people who follow vegetarian, pescatarian, or low meat diets have a significantly lower environmental impact. For example, study participants who consumed only 1.7 ounces of meat accounted for about half the amount of daily carbon dioxide emissions than those that consumed 3.5 ounces. In other words? Dietary changes can and do make a significant impact.
A few ways that agriculture contributes to climate change are:
Our existing agricultural practices place a tremendous burden on nature, leaving a farmers highly susceptible to climate change impacts such as:
As a result, farmers — who are on the frontlines of climate change — will increasingly face grueling and potentially unsafe conditions, accelerated crop failures and livestock losses, threatened livelihoods as profits are lost and farms fail, reduced water supplies, and more.
And as they say, No Farms, No Food: while farms struggle to keep the lights on, consumers will feel the effects of a destabilizing food supply — like higher prices and decreased food security. This ripple effect will extend beyond our dinner plates, though, affecting national and international markets for fiber, bioenergy, and other farmed products.
Farmers are the lifeblood of any nation, and supporting them, food workers, and rural economies to adapt their practices and increase resilience is important for more than just climate change mitigation. The good news is that there are plenty of science-backed solutions and we can work with farmers to transform our agricultural system, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, sequester carbon, support biodiversity, rebuild our soils, and more. These include:
Transforming our agricultural system is a big task for an already struggling industry, but it’s just as essential to managing the climate crisis as planting trees.
Just as we need to restore forests through an integrated approach of conserving existing ecosystems, restoring degraded ones, and supporting reforestation where it's needed, we must also take a multi-layered approach to leveling up our food systems to face the challenges of the 21st century. By supporting our farmers as they transition to the integrated, sustainable practices necessary to feed a warming planet, we can accomplish that and so much more.
Want to make a difference right now? Plant trees today!
Meaghan works to share our story far and wide, manages our blog calendar, coordinates with the team on projects + campaigns, and ensures our brand voice is reflected across channels. With a background in communications and an education in environmental conservation, she is passionate about leveraging her creativity to help the environment!
01/10/2024 by Gabrielle Clawson
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