Farming activities in the U.S. accounted for 10.5% of U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2022. From 2021 to 2022, agricultural GHG emissions decreased from 681.6 million metric tons (mt) to 663.6 million mt of carbon dioxide equivalent and decreased from 10.8% to 10.5% as a share of the entire U.S. economy’s emissions.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that in 2022, agriculture emitted 309.1 million mt directly as nitrous oxide (N2O), 277 million mt directly as methane (CH4), 47.9 million mt directly as on-farm carbon dioxide (CO2), and indirectly emitted 29.7 million mt through electricity the agricultural sector uses.
Agricultural practices that emit nitrous oxide include nitrogen fertilizer application and manure management. Major sources of agricultural methane emissions include enteric fermentation, manure management and rice cultivation.
The EPA has identified the industrial sector as the largest sectoral contributor to total GHG emissions (29.5%), followed by transportation, commercial, residential, agriculture and U.S. territories (listed as a group because no specific consumption data can be attributed within the territories). Total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2022 were 0.2% greater than they were in 2021. — USDA Economic Research Service
