YOUR TEXAS AGRICULTURE MINUTE

U.S. farmers, ranchers at the forefront of climate-smart farming

By Gary Joiner
Publisher

America’s farmers and ranchers are putting scientific solutions, technology and innovation to work. Their efforts protect our land, air and water.

It’s climate-smart farming, and they’re doing it every day.

U.S. agriculture contributes around 10% to overall greenhouse gas emissions by economic sector. Thanks to farmers’ dedication to conserve natural resources, that share drops to negative 2% when additional carbon absorbing practices are factored in.

Not only are agriculture’s overall emissions low, farmers and ranchers are taking active steps to make their footprint even smaller.

More than 140 million acres of U.S. farmland are used for conservation efforts and wildlife habitats. That land area is equal to the states of California and New York combined. Pretty impressive.

Livestock emissions are an easy target, but don’t be fooled. Livestock emissions continue to make up less than 4% of overall greenhouse gasses by economic sector.

In fact, dairy and milk production, beef production and pork production have all increased in the last 30 years, while per-unit emissions have fallen.

It’s a success story that continues to break new ground. Doing more with less—that’s American agriculture.

The preceding commentary is brought to you by Texas Farm Bureau, the “Voice of Texas Agriculture.” Called “Your Texas Agriculture Minute,” TFB will issue thought-provoking editorials each week—via print and audio—to spark understanding of agriculture in the Lone Star State and its impact on each and every Texan.

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