An article published in the Journal of Cleaner Production found that dedicating a larger share of farmland to organic reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The authors established that increasing organic cropland acreage by one percent was associated with an estimated 0.06 percent decrease in GHG emissions, while raising organic pasture acreage by one percent corresponded with a 0.007 percent reduction. In contrast, increasing total farmland acreage by one percent was estimated to raise GHG emissions by 0.131 percent.  

This study drew on United States Department of Agriculture data on farming acreage from 1997 to 2010 and emissions data from the World Resources Institute’s Climate Watch (CAIT-US). Researchers used these data to map the spatial distribution of emissions from agriculture by state, while examining the relationship between organic agriculture and GHG emissions. Through regression analysis incorporating population, income, technology,   total farmland acreage, organic cropland acreage, and organic pasture acreage, the study established estimates for agricultural emissions by state, and whether organic cropland had a statistically significant effect on a states’ overall emissions. 

The analysis revealed that, when accounting for other predictors such as population, income, technology, and total farmland area, states with higher percentages of organic cropland as well as organically managed pasture, were correlated with lower overall emissions. Spatial analysis further identified a large cluster of high-emissions states located in the Great Plains, where economies are largely dependent on the production of alfalfa, barley, canola, corn, cotton, sorghum, soybeans, wheat, and livestock grazing, while a low-emissions cluster was identified in the northeastern region of the U.S. 

As with all large-scale analyses, limitations were noted. The study did not incorporate sequestered soil carbon from organic agriculture, potentially resulting in more conservative estimates of the environmental benefits of organic agriculture. Additionally, emissions capture only one dimension of environmental impact, overlooking other environmental factors such as water quality, soil health, and biodiversity. 

These findings provide evidence for organic agriculture’s potential to mitigate GHG emissions, encouraging a scaling up of organic farming. The study’s spatial analysis also highlights the uneven distribution of GHG emissions across the U.S. and the importance of region-specific policies and initiatives that incentivize the adoption of organic farming as a positive, environmentally conscious choice for consumers.