Global Warming

Did you know that agriculture is the second largest industrial sector* contributor of greenhouse gases?

Only the electrical and heat generation sector creates more greenhouse gases (GHG) than agriculture. Even ignoring other sectors, agriculture is itself responsible for the production of more GHG than the earth can absorb. Of the overall global contribution of agriculture to greenhouse gas emissions, nitrous oxide (N2O) makes up a full 10 to 12 percent.

In order to find an economically-realistic solution for the reduction of GHG emissions, productivity cannot be sacrificed. Crops that use nitrogen more efficiently can reduce agriculture's impact while maintaining yield. That technology is under development today.

Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) crops use up to two-thirds less than conventional varieties without sacrificing yield. This technology has been demonstrated in multiple key crops, and development work is planned in major crops, including canola, rice, wheat, corn, cotton, sugar beets and sugarcane.

NUE technology allows farmers to apply less nitrogen fertilizer to crops, thereby reducing the amount of nitrogen that volatizes in the form of N2O. In addition, lowered requirements for nitrogen fertilizer means lower costs for farmers. Growers are thus given a powerful economic incentive to use environmentally-beneficial NUE technology.

Read on to learn more about agriculture’s impact on global warming, NUE technology and Arcadia’s role in working toward a viable solution that impacts all of us.

* Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT) Version 4.0. (Washington, DC: World Resources Institute, 2007.)