The Climate Crisis and Agriculture

15 Pages Posted: 3 Feb 2022 Last revised: 10 Feb 2022

See all articles by Nathan Rosenberg

Nathan Rosenberg

Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic; University of Arkansas School of Law

Peter Lehner

Earthjustice - Sustainable Food and Farming Program

Date Written: February 1, 2022

Abstract

This Article, excerpted from Farming for Our Future: The Science, Law, and Policy of Climate-Neutral Agriculture (ELI Press 2021), outlines the threats climate change poses to agriculture and provides an overview of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions at the global, U.S., and state levels. It further details the sector’s sources of emissions, explains how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s standard analysis significantly understates agriculture’s climate change impact, and identifies uncertainties inherent in measuring the impacts of wide-scale biological systems. In contrast to government estimates, we argue that agriculture in the United States is responsible for one-quarter to one-third of national greenhouse gas emissions. We conclude by assessing agriculture’s capacity to contribute to massive decreases in emissions, sometimes called “deep decarbonization.”

Keywords: Climate Change, Sustainable Agriculture, Agricultural Law, Agricultural Policy, Farm Policy, Food Systems, Food Law & Policy

Suggested Citation

Rosenberg, Nathan and Lehner, Peter, The Climate Crisis and Agriculture (February 1, 2022). Environmental Law Reporter, Vol. 52, No. 2, 2022, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4023607

Nathan Rosenberg (Contact Author)

Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic ( email )

122 Boylston St
Boston, MA 02130
United States

University of Arkansas School of Law ( email )

260 Waterman Hall
Fayetteville, AR 72701
United States

Peter Lehner

Earthjustice - Sustainable Food and Farming Program ( email )

CA
United States

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