It depends on what you count. Food and agriculture as a whole (agrifood systems) produced about 32% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2023, according to FAO. Farming, forestry and land use alone were about 22% in 2019, according to the IPCC. The gap is processing, transport, packaging, retail and waste.
Between about a fifth and a third, depending on the boundary. Narrow definitions count only what happens on farms and the land they use. Broad "food system" definitions also count fertiliser manufacture, processing, transport, packaging, retail, cooking and waste.
| Source (year published) | What it counts | Share of global emissions | Data year |
| FAO, FAOSTAT Analytical Brief on agrifood systems emissions (2025) | Whole agrifood system: farm gate, land-use change, pre- and post-production | ~32% (16.5 Gt CO2e) | 2023 |
| IPCC AR6 Working Group III (2022) | Agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) only | ~22% (13 Gt CO2e) | 2019 |
| IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land (2019) | Whole food system | 21–37% | 2007–2016 |
| Poore and Nemecek, Science (2018), via Our World in Data | Whole food supply chain | ~26% | ~2010 |
The IPCC AFOLU figure includes forestry emissions that have nothing to do with food, but leaves out processing, transport and retail. The FAO figure is the most recent and the one most often cited for food companies.
FAO's 2023 breakdown shows where the agrifood total comes from:
| Stage | 2023 emissions (Gt CO2e) |
| Farm gate (crops and livestock) | 8.1 |
| Pre- and post-production (fertiliser making, processing, packaging, transport, retail, households, waste) | 5.2 |
| Land-use change (mainly deforestation) | 3.2 |
| Total agrifood systems | 16.5 |
Source: FAO, Greenhouse gas emissions from agrifood systems: global, regional and country trends, 2001–2023 (2025).
The share fell from 38% in 2001 to 32% in 2023, mainly because emissions from energy and industry grew faster. Agrifood emissions themselves were still 21% higher than in 2001.
Most farm emissions come from biological processes, not from burning fuel. Methane from cattle, nitrous oxide from soils and carbon from land clearing vary with climate, soil, feed and farming practice. They are estimated with models and emission factors rather than read from a meter.
For a company, there is a second problem. Most of these emissions sit in the supply chain, as Scope 3, on farms the company does not own. That makes Scope 3 measurement the core task for any food or agriculture business.
The main sources are livestock, fertiliser, rice and land clearing. Each produces a different gas.
For a source-by-source explainer, read our agricultural emissions 101.
Agriculture is both a cause and a victim of climate change. Heat, drought, floods and shifting rainfall cut yields and disrupt supply. Asia was the world's most disaster-hit region in recent WMO State of the Climate in Asia reports, with most events being floods and storms that hit farm output.
This two-way link is why food companies treat on-farm emission cuts and farm resilience as the same programme.
The proven levers are better nitrogen management, cover crops, feed and manure changes, and stopping land conversion. The GHG Protocol's Agricultural Guidance (2014) describes several of them:
| Lever | What it cuts | How it works |
| Smarter nitrogen use | Nitrous oxide | Split applications, remote sensing to target fertiliser, avoid wet or cold soils |
| Cover crops and legumes | Nitrous oxide, fertiliser Scope 3 | Hold nitrogen in the soil, add soil carbon, reduce need for synthetic fertiliser |
| Feed additives and better forage | Methane | Lower methane per unit of milk or meat; safety and cost still being tested |
| Anaerobic digesters | Methane | Capture methane from manure and use it as energy |
| Alternate wetting and drying (rice) | Methane | Drain and re-flood paddies instead of keeping them flooded |
| Deforestation-free sourcing | CO2 | Avoid land-use change in the supply chain |
Policy and finance matter too. Smallholders often need upfront capital or risk-sharing before they will change practices. Microfinance, offtaker-funded training and shared equipment all help. Our op-ed on big food and smallholders covers how this works for rice.
Through two frameworks. The GHG Protocol Land Sector and Removals Standard (version 1 published 30 January 2026, effective 1 January 2027) sets how land emissions and removals go into a corporate inventory. The SBTi FLAG Guidance (2022) sets how companies with large land emissions set science-based targets. Our post on the LSR rulebook for land emissions explains both.
Terrascope's work with dairy producer Greenfields found that its cattle feed emissions could fall by more than 50%. Feed is a hidden driver: it carries fertiliser and land-use emissions from the farms that grow it.
We have also helped agri supply chains plan for the long term, as in our MC Agri Alliance case study.
Terrascope's FLAG and LSR solution helps food and agriculture companies measure, report and reduce land emissions. You can:
Learn more on our agriculture industry page.
What percentage of greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture? FAO puts agrifood systems at about 32% of global emissions in 2023. The IPCC puts agriculture, forestry and land use at about 22% in 2019. The difference is mostly processing, transport, retail and waste, which FAO includes.
What percentage of methane comes from agriculture? Agriculture is the largest human source of methane, mainly from livestock and rice. Estimates vary by study, so check the latest UNEP Global Methane Assessment for a current figure.
What is the biggest source of agricultural emissions? Methane from enteric fermentation in cattle and other ruminants is the largest farm-gate source. Including land-use change, deforestation for farmland is also a major source.
Are agricultural emissions Scope 3? For most food and agriculture companies, yes. Emissions from farms they buy from are Scope 3, Category 1 (purchased goods). Emissions from farms they own or control are Scope 1.
Are agricultural emissions rising or falling? Rising in absolute terms. FAO found agrifood emissions in 2023 were 21% higher than in 2001, though they changed little over the last decade. Their share of the global total has fallen.
If you need to measure farm and land emissions across your supply chain, contact our team.