Study reveals where to cut cropland emissions
A fresh Cornell University study reveals croplands—just 12% of Earth's land—are behind a hefty 25% of all agricultural emissions.
This is the first big update on the topic since 2000, using high-res global mapping to show where and how much cropland is contributing to climate change.
Emissions by region and crop
East Asia and the Pacific top the charts, making up half of global cropland emissions in 2020.
South Asia, Europe, and Central Asia add another 30%.
Just four crops—rice (43%), maize, oil palm, and wheat—are responsible for nearly three-quarters of these emissions.
Potential solutions
The study highlights that drained peatlands are an important source of oil palm emissions, while flooded rice fields are an important source of rice emissions.
Synthetic fertilizers are another big factor in high-production areas.
The researchers suggest fixes like rewetting peatlands, smarter rice growing methods, and more precise fertilizer use to cut down on these numbers locally.