New Research Reveals How to Significantly Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Wisconsin Agriculture

As greenhouse gas emissions begin to drop in other sectors of Wisconsin’s economy, emissions from agriculture continue to rise. Add to that widespread soil erosion and water contamination from pesticide and fertilizer runoff, and it’s clear urgent action is needed to rework the way we farm and support our farming communities.

Now, new research reveals how farmers across Wisconsin can help cut greenhouse gas emissions and protect our soil and water. The Roadmap to Net Zero is a first-of-its-kind analysis that uses peer-reviewed science and on-the-ground Wisconsin case studies to show that significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions is possible—but we have to shift our current priorities and focus on practices that truly benefit the climate.

“Cutting emissions to a sustainable level will require transformational landscape change, not just tweaks around the edges of our current row crop production system,” says Clean Wisconsin Water and Agriculture Program Director Sara Walling. “This doesn’t have to happen all at once, but we now have the research to show what’s needed and how to get there.”

Key Findings

• Reducing nitrogen fertilizer use immediately cuts greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural soils while protecting drinking water and reducing farmers’ reliance on high-cost inputs.
• Transitioning the one million acres of land Wisconsin currently used for inefficient corn-based ethanol production to perennial crops and managed livestock pastures significantly reduces emissions.
• Cover crops and no-till practices in annual cropping systems like corn and soybeans do help reduce soil erosion and limit runoff from fertilizers and manure, but they provide negligible long-term carbon storage.
• Livestock contribute significantly to agricultural emissions. These emissions must be reduced through better manure management, dietary modifications, and other practices.
• Perennial agriculture systems—such as agroforestry, silvopasture, rotationally-grazed pastures, and perennial food crops—offer the greatest greenhouse gas reduction potential. These systems also produce high-value, nutrient-dense food products, improve water quality and soil health, reduce flood risk, and enhance biodiversity.

“Continuing to rely solely on corn and soybean production is proving to be a financial loser for many of our state’s farmers and it’s wreaking havoc on our health and environment,” Walling says. “For the third year in a row, corn producers are set to lose money on every bushel of corn they produce this crop season. Shifting away from these crops that require high-inputs of fertilizer and pesticides makes farmers less reliant on volatile and rising fertilizer and fuel prices.”

Walling notes rising costs and uncertain markets are already prompting many Wisconsin farmers to embrace change and shift production to crops that require less fertilizer and are more resilient to our changing climate.

“This study makes clear that business-as-usual and limited interventions like cover crops and no-till alone come nowhere near achieving our shared climate goals. To protect our climate, water, and rural livelihoods, Wisconsin agriculture needs to take bold steps to reduce fertilizer while incorporating more crop diversity, perennials, and trees,” Walling says.

The study was made possible through support from the Daybreak Fund and the Platform for Agriculture & Climate Transformation (PACT) and with the collaboration of Clean Wisconsin, the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, the Savanna Institute, and University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Grassland 2.0. Together, these organizations combined expertise and resources to advance a shared goal: achieving net-zero agricultural emissions through adoption of climate-resilient, economically viable agricultural systems in Wisconsin.

Explore the Research

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

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