Project Drawdown - Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Human activity has transformed a significant fraction of the planet’s land, especially for growing food and harvesting forests. Land is the common ground of shelter, sustenance, feed for animals, fiber, timber, and some sources of energy, and the source of livelihood for billions of people. Our pursuit of those ends often disrupts or displaces ecosystems, and the twin forces of a growing population and rising consumption mean the challenge of stewarding land in sustainable ways will only intensify. Today, agriculture and forestry activities generate 24% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. 

How can we reduce the pressures on ecosystems and land, while meeting the growing demands for food and fiber worldwide? How can we do what we do on land better, tending it in ways that decrease emissions from agriculture and forestry? The answers to these questions are critical for stemming greenhouse gases, sustaining the planet’s living systems, addressing food security, and protecting human health, all inextricably linked. Solutions in this sector are focused on waste and diets, ecosystem protection, and better agriculture practices.