Resource information
Agriculture is one of the major sources
of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions accounting for
approximately 14 percent of total GHG emissions. However,
unlike other sectors such as transport or energy,
agriculture is potentially a significant carbon
'sink'. Moreover, because the majority of GHG
emissions from agriculture originate in developing
countries, early intervention could be highly
cost-effective. This note examines the potential role of
agriculture in climate change mitigation. It discusses: 1)
the sector's current GHG emissions, 2) its potential to
serve as a sink, 3) best management practices that can be
adopted to mitigate climate change, and 4) social and
institutional barriers to adopting agricultural mitigation
measures, and ways to overcome them.
