Research and Relevance, Episode 11: Decarbonizing the Agriculture Industry

Scientists assert that global warming must be kept below two degrees Celsius to avoid insurmountable global disruption. Getting there will require near total decarbonization of economic activity by 2060. Agriculture accounts for a significant amount of GHG emissions worldwide but is also the one sector being hit the hardest by a changing climate. As the global population continues to grow – an additional 2 billion people predicted by 2050  – industry stakeholders are working diligently on technology solutions that will increase productivity while reducing carbon footprint.

We take a closer look at the two largest sources of GHG emissions – livestock farming and soil management – and explore the best practices and technologies that support carbon-smart farming.  We'll then discuss the levers and opportunities in more detail with Darden Professor Mike Lenox, who is a co-author on the forthcoming report titled Path to 2060: Decarbonizing the Agriculture Industry.

We would like to thank Dominion Energy’s Ryan Childress, Beanstalk Farm’s Jack and Michael Ross, and UVA Professor James Galloway for their contributions to this podcast, which also includes insights from the March 2019 World Agri-tech Innovation Summit.

This is the fourth in a series of podcasts from the Business Innovation and Climate Change Initiative at Darden’s Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation http://www.darden.virginia.edu/innovation-climate/. Episodes 5, 7, and 10 of Research and Relevance discussed automobiles, electric utilities, and industrials.

Podcast hosted by Becky Duff, Senior Research Associate for the Business Innovation and Climate Change Initiative, Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.