Infographics
We believe that science can guide us in developing solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
We work with world-class scientists creating and evolving definitive food research while identifying gaps in existing research.
This insight is then shared with our farmer and rancher networks to help amplify the farmer and rancher voice, ensuring their perspectives and experiences are heard and understood.
Our work also creates a unified voice for farm and food leaders around key topics and food moments.
Facts at a Glance
Key Facts
U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action connects farmers and ranchers to food and agriculture stakeholders to co-create sustainable food systems.
USFRA gathered some key facts of the agricultural products and the progress that U.S. farmers and ranchers are making, demonstrating how agriculture can be the solution to climate change while meeting the challenge of feeding the world.
Climate Challenges
U.S. 2022 Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters
Disaster events due to extreme weather are becoming more frequent, and their cost is enormous. In 2022 (as of October 11), there have been 15 weather/climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each to affect the United States. These events included 1 drought event, 1 flooding event, 10 severe storm events, 2 tropical cyclone events, and 1 wildfire event. Overall, these events resulted in the deaths of 342 people and had significant economic effects on the areas impacted. This mapping infographic is intended to provide U.S. communities with information on their susceptibility to weather and climate hazards.
Source:
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2022). https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/, DOI: 10.25921/stkw-7w73
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Disaster Events
Disaster events have caused over $560 billion in damages in the United States from 2010 – 2019 and they are increasing.
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Agriculture – Solution to Climate Change
Climate-Smart Farming Systems
Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is an approach that helps to guide actions needed to transform and reorient agricultural systems to effectively support development and ensure food security in a changing climate 1.
These climate-smart practices are increasingly being implemented across the U.S. today 2.
Disaster events have caused over $560 billion in damages in the United States from 2010 – 2019 and they are increasing.
Reference:
1. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2019). Climate Smart Agriculture. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/climate-smart-agriculture/en/
2. Hatfield, J. (2018, July 18). Meta-Analysis of Swine Manure and Commercial Fertilizer on Environmental Endpoints and Soil Health – NPB #17-209. Retrieved from https://www.pork.org/wpcontent/uploads/2017/10/17-209-HATFIELD-final-rpt-updated.pdf
Drawdown Potential
Agriculture has the potential to reduce its footprint to -4% of total U.S. GHG emissions.
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GHG Mitigation & Carbon Sequestration
Common agricultural practices have demonstrated soil carbon sequestration and GHG mitigation benefits.
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Soil Carbon Sequestration
Soil is one of the nature reservoirs that absorbs and stores the atmosphere’s carbon with physical and biological mechanisms. As shown in the below infographic, after long processes and under certain conditions, soil can store carbon for a long time.
Transformative Investment
Opportunity Matrix for Agribusiness Investment
Sustainable agricultural technologies (e.g. precision agriculture, biopesticides, microbial fertilizers) are projected to have high growth and low risk. These practices are already being put to use, as illustrated by the Soil Health Partnership. These practices are also known as climate-smart agricultural practices and have been recently termed “regenerative agriculture practices”. Precision agriculture is another strategy, which employs detailed, site-specific information to precisely manage production inputs, business cost allocation, and environmental services.
Source:
Ag2020: Growth and investment opportunities in food and agribusiness, a joint report from McKinsey and Paine + Partners, 2013.
Land Use
U.S. Agriculture: The Front Lines of Conservation
Working agricultural lands are critical to America’s conversation efforts, in addition to parks and forests. A full 15% of U.S. farmland is dedicated to conservation, the equivalent of California and New York combined.
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Crops & Livestock Together Unlock the Land’s Highest Purpose
As we look at potential solutions to climate change, the call to replace meat and dairy with plant-based protein overlooks the interconnectedness between crops and livestock.
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Urban Encroachment
We lose 83.3 acres of farmland per hour from urban encroachment and low-density residential land use.
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Carbon and GHGs
Harnessing the Carbon Cycle
Photosynthesis captures the sun’s energy and transforms it into food for animals and people –
grains, oilseeds, beans, fruits and vegetables. Some of this energy, in carbon form, enters the
soil through plant roots and helps sustain the soil biological system. With climate-smart
agriculture practices, farmers can achieve maximum carbon storage benefits and enhance the
soil’s ability to capture and store water.
Harnessing the Nitrogen Cycle
The nitrogen (N) cycle is a biologically-driven process where various forms of N in solid, liquid
and gas states move between the air, water, soil and plants. Keeping N on-the-farm prevents it
from becoming a potential source of pollution. Growing legume crops, like soybean, that
naturally fix N with the help of soil microbes is
one helpful approach; soybeans rarely require supplemental N from commercial fertilizer, and
growing soy in rotation with other crops can reduce total commercial fertilizer usage.
The corn-soy rotation and its integration with livestock operations – an agricultural system
that is prevalent in the U.S. today – leverages this biology to minimize N loss and optimize the
synthesis of protein to nourish animals and humans. This system is much closer to a “closed
loop system” than U.S. agricultural systems of past generations.
Carbon Emissions
U.S. soils sequester carbon emissions from more than 100 billion cars.
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100x Carbon
Currently, U.S. soils store 100 times more carbon than total U.S. emissions in a year.
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Agriculture and GHG Emissions
Agriculture represents 9.9% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
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Different Colors of Carbon
Carbon impacts the Earth’s heat balance and climate change.
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U.S. CO2 eq. Emissions by Sector, Soil Carbon Stocks and Agricultural CO2 eq. Cycles
The energy sector emits 84% of total U.S. CO2 eq. emissions. Within the energy sector, approximately 30% is transportation, 30% is housing and recreation, and 40% is energy used to make goods. Processing and products represent 5.5% of total U.S. CO2 eq. emissions that have been derived from fossil fuels (e.g. plastics), 2% is a result of the waste sector, and these emissions are primarily from food waste and lawn that generates methane gas.
The agriculture sector represents 8.4% of total U.S. CO2 eq. emissions. Agriculture CO2 eq. emissions come from areas including soil management, growing of crops, energy conversion in feeding animals, nitrous oxide from fertilizer, rice patties, and manure. Agriculture also cycles carbon and represents opportunities for greater sequestration through climate smart systems. Climate smart agricultural systems provide farmers innovation pathways and can include practices such as cover crops, no-till, manure fractionation, and feed additives for conversion efficiency amongst many others.
Source:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2019). Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks, 1990-2019. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2019). Negative Emissions Technologies and Reliable Sequestration: A Research Agenda. Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report. (2018)
Soil Health
Under Construction
Water
Agriculture Water Use in the United States
Irrigation helps sustain the productivity of US farmland and helps to prevent crop loss during dry periods. In much of the western part of the US, there is not enough rainfall during the growing season to support successful farming operations. By using surface or groundwater to irrigate fields, US farmers are able to produce more crops for food, fiber and fuel to meet the needs of the growing population. Irrigation can also be useful in areas that may normally get enough rain to support crops, but experience periods of drought or decreased rainfall.
Cocreated with U of Nebraska, Agricultural Water Use (nebraska.edu)
Agricultural Water Use Trends in the United States
Some areas in the US are seeing an increase in irrigation, while others are seeing a decrease. Factors that influence trends include weather patterns, groundwater availability, policy changes and changes in crop type.
Cocreated with U of Nebraska, Agricultural Water Use (nebraska.edu)
Harnessing the Water Cycle
Crops obtain water through rain and/or irrigation. Water that falls onto the soil surface either
is absorbed by the soil or runs off the surface. Climate-smart agriculture practices ensure a
maximal amount of the water is available to nourish the plants and a minimal amount is lost
through runoff.
As soil health improves, so does soil’s ability to capture and store water, making farms more
resilient to drought and heavy rainfall.
SDG Goals
Stewardship – SDGS
HTH Challenge Coin
Taking Action
People, Planet, Process
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Visit World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)’s SDG Hub for additional resources.
Food Waste
Use It or Lose It
Focal points to reduce food loss & waste (FLW) at each stage of the value chain.
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