A new report by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST), initiated by U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action (USFRA), suggests that U.S. agriculture has the potential to offset its carbon emissions while boosting farm profitability and resilience. The report, written by 26 experts and reviewed by the National Academy of Sciences, highlights how combining reduced greenhouse gas emissions and increased carbon storage in soil could help achieve a “carbon-negative” agricultural system.

The report identifies five key areas—soil carbon management, nitrogen fertilizer use, animal production, crop yield improvements, and energy efficiency—as having the most potential to reduce emissions from agriculture, which currently accounts for about 10% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. By adopting conservation practices in these areas, agriculture could become a carbon sink, absorbing more carbon than it emits.

The report stresses that achieving this goal will require tailored strategies for each farm, considering factors like crops, soil types, and weather. It also highlights the need for support to help farmers adopt new practices and integrate them across all stages of food production. The findings offer a path forward for making agriculture more sustainable in the near term.