U.S. farmers and ranchers are reducing per-unit greenhouse grass emissions, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The analysis shows the agriculture sector accounts for less than ten percent of total U.S. emissions and about 24 percent globally. Per-unit methane emissions from livestock have declined since 1990 as livestock producers have increased production. Over 30 years, U.S. milk production has increased 71 percent while per-unit emissions of milk have declined by almost 25 percent. Beef production has increased almost 50 percent, while per-unit emissions have fallen nearly eight percent. The data also reveals more crops are being produced on fewer acres. When compared to farm production in 1990, U.S. farmers would have needed almost 100 million additional acres to grow the same amount of corn, cotton, rice, soybeans and wheat they harvested in 2018. The full preliminary report from the EPA is available here.
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