Agriculture is a net contributor of global greenhouse gas emissions
Extensive scientific literature confirms that agriculture is a net contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, driven by activities such as fertilizer application, livestock management, and land use changes.
Multiple life cycle assessments and studies consistently show that agricultural activities generate substantial greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. The retrieved papers uniformly support this consensus while discussing potential mitigation strategies.
Shaoda Liu, Junfeng Wang, Wenhao Xu, Peijia Zhang, Sibo Zhang, Xin Chen, Zhuangzhuang Zhang, Wei Huang, Wenxiu Zheng, Xinghui Xia. Human Activities Reshape Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Inland Waters. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70139
The study shows that agricultural landscapes and inland waters within them exhibit significantly higher greenhouse gas emissions.
See more details
Camila Seno Nascimento, Carolina Seno Nascimento, Breno de Jesus Pereira, Paulo Henrique Soares Silva, Mara Cristina Pessôa da Cruz, Arthur Bernardes Cecílio Filho. Enhancing Sustainability in Potato Crop Production: Mitigating Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Nitrate Accumulation in Potato Tubers through Optimized Nitrogen Fertilization. 2024. https://doi.org/10.3390/nitrogen5010011
The research demonstrates that agricultural practices, particularly over-fertilization, contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and a substantial carbon footprint.
Huizi Bai, Jianzhao Tang, Dengpan Xiao, D. Liu. Future climate change impacts on grain yield and agricultural greenhouse-gas emissions under different cropping systems in the North China Plain. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1071/cp25045
The paper notes that intensive cropping systems are primary sources of agricultural greenhouse-gas emissions.
Balkiş E, Gülçiçek Uysal O. Identifying Mitigation Pathways for Low-Carbon Strawberry Production under Mediterranean Conditions: A Life Cycle Assessment.. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1002/gch2.70120
The study evaluates the carbon footprint of open-field agricultural production, confirming that farming is a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions.
Zhou D, Zhao Z, Wang Q, Chu C, Gui X, Du L, He J, Wu S. Life-cycle carbon emissions and sequestration mechanisms under contrasting rice rotation systems.. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.70941
The article evaluates the carbon footprint and global warming potential of rice rotation systems in agricultural production.
Ning G, Yang F, Zhao J, Wang S. Spatiotemporal Analysis of the Carbon Footprint of Soybean Production in China Based on Life Cycle Assessment.. 2026. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15111979
The study calculates the carbon footprint of soybean production systems, highlighting agricultural inputs and soil emissions as major contributors.
Tian W, Yin H, Zou Z, Li R, Huang Y, Wang J, Liu S, Han Z, Zou J. Organic fertilizer substitution combined with Bacillus velezensis SQR9 inoculation reduces carbon footprint and enhances net eco-economic benefits in tropical vegetable fields.. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.130221
The trial evaluates greenhouse gas emissions from vegetable production systems and explores mitigation strategies.
Hu Q, Bao X, Xiao N, Yang Y, Lai C, Wang L, Zhang S. Substituting maize and soybean meal with non-conventional feed ingredients: environmental trade-offs and resource-saving potential in China's pig production.. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-026-01458-z
The study examines the carbon footprint across the complete crop-pig-manure chain in agricultural livestock production.
Bold A, Cui S, Yin J, Huang W, Tsog T, Munkhbaatar D, Batbayar G. Cutting Carbon with Knife and Bin: The Role of Diet and Food Recycling in the Food System of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.. 2026. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15111834
The study notes that the global food system, including agricultural food production, contributes significantly to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.
The paper trail · every fact has a biography
Challenge the receipt
Citation formatting by citeproc-js (Frank Bennett) and the Citation Style Language project. Source and licenses.
Terms · Privacy · How verdicts work · Dispute this receipt