Higher Ag Productivity May Be Cheapest Way to Reduce Carbon Emissions

By FERN’s Ag Insider

The least expensive way to attack greenhouse gas emissions on the farm may be larger investment in agricultural research and development, said University of California professor Aaron Smith in a blog on Tuesday. He cited a 2010 study that estimated agricultural R&D reduced carbon emissions through higher productivity at a cost of $15 per ton, “a much lower cost” than some commonly suggested practices, such as cover crops and conservation tillage.

The 2010 study, by researchers from Stanford and the University of Washington, said higher crop yields prevented up to 161 gigatons of carbon emissions since 1961.

“Investing more in research and development to increase agricultural productivity could provide a true win-win scenario of reducing climate change emissions while also increasing global welfare, but it faces a stiff challenge because the changing climate will likely reduce agricultural productivity growth,” wrote Smith. “I’m not saying we abandon climate smart practices, but the biggest payoff looks to be in R&D.”

In his blog, Smith listed the cost of implementing carbon sequestration practices. “Gains from margin changes in tillage or cover-cropping practices could easily be swamped by carbon losses from cropland conversion,” he said. “To avoid such outcomes, continued increases in agricultural productivity are imperative.”