According to the U.S. Global Change Research Program and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, mitigation can be defined as actions to decrease human-induced sources of greenhouse gases and other pollutants that change the earth’s energy balance, contributing to climate change. NRCS helps producers, land managers and owners mitigate climate change by providing them the tools and knowledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve carbon storage through conservation practices. Producers have opportunities to employ conservation practices to increase soil resilience, sequester carbon, and that save time and money. These same practices can potentially take advantage of market forces that lead to additional income from ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and production of bioenergy crops. On-farm energy audits can evaluate potential energy savings and GHG reductions in confined animal operation, tillage, irrigation, and fertilizer applications.
Mitigation Highlights
Agricultural Activities that Mitigate the Impact of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Agricultural and forestry activities can contribute to the reduction in atmospheric buildup of greenhouse gases in three important ways: sequestration, emissions reductions, and fossil fuel substitution. Read more.
Ecosystem Services
Ecosystem services are part of a market-oriented approach that works to provide a source of income for farms and ranches for ecosystem services such as clean water, clean air, wildlife habitat, and carbon. The goal of market-based conservation is to take conservation beyond the farm, ranch, and forest and develop a system that mainstreams environmental credit trading. Read more.
Image (2nd from top): Photo courtesy of the USDA Agricultural Research Service
Other Images: Photos courtesy of USDA-NRCS
