Given the unique characteristics of the agrifood sector, a review of six potential policy paths for greenhouse gas emission reductions shows innovative green farming practices — such as alternate wetting and drying for rice and better animal feeding techniques — as the most promising and attractive path. These approaches can rapidly and substantially lower emissions, address leakage, raise farmer incomes and reduce food prices through partial repurposing of existing farm support.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals
Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription
$32.99 / 30 days
cancel any time
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 digital issues and online access to articles
$119.00 per year
only $9.92 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to the full article PDF.
USD 39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Ivanovich, C., Sun, T., Gordon, D. R. & Ocko, I. B. Nat. Clim. Change 13, 297–302 (2023).
Gautam, M. et al. Options to Transform Agriculture and Food Systems to Better Serve the Health of People, Economies, and the Planet (IFPRI & World Bank, 2022).
Global Methane Assessment: Benefits and Costs of Mitigating Methane Emissions (UNEP & CCAC, 2021); https://go.nature.com/4s0sHxZ
Vos, R. & Martin, W. Options for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agriculture and Food Systems IFPRI Discussion Paper 2336 (International Food Policy Research Institute, 2025); https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174515
Acemoglu, D., Aghion, P., Bursztyn, L. & Hemous, D. Am. Econ. Rev. 102, 131–166 (2012).
Vos, R., Martin, W. & Resnick, D. in The Political Economy of Food System Transformation (eds Swinnen, J. & Resnick, D.) 54–79 (Oxford Univ. Press, 2023).
Henderson, B. & Verma, M. Global Assessment of the Carbon Leakage Implications of Carbon Taxes on Agricultural Emissions OECD Food Agriculture and Fisheries Paper 170 (OECD, 2021).
Chan, H. R., Chupp, B. A., Cropper, M. & Muller, N. J. Environ. Econ. Manag. 88, 180–209 (2018).
Farm to Fork Strategy: For a Fair, Healthy and Environmentally Friendly Food System (European Commission, 2020).
Ponisio, L. C. et al. Proc. R. Soc. B 282, 20141396 (2014).
Calel, R., Colmer, J., Dechezleprêtre, A. & Glachant, M. Appl. Econ. 17, 1–40 (2025).
Herrero, M. et al. Lancet Planet. Health 5, e50–e62 (2020).
Mukherji, A. et al. Achieving Agricultural Breakthrough: A Deep Dive into Seven Technological Areas (CGIAR, 2023); https://hdl.handle.net/10568/131852
Mernit, J. L. How eating seaweed can help cows to belch less methane. Yale Environment 360 (2 July 2018).
Röckstrom, J. et al. Lancet 406, 1625–1700 (2025).
FAOSTAT (FAO, accessed 5 January 2025); https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/GT
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to T. Hertel, R. Hill, M. Gautam and J. Glauber, as well as to participants at the 2024 Global Climate Change Conference (Lisbon, September 2024). This work was undertaken as part of the CGIAR Research Initiative on Rethinking Food Markets and the CGIAR Science Program on Policy Innovations. Accordingly, we are grateful to all donors supporting the CGIAR Trust Fund.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Vos, R., Martin, W. Green innovations are the best policy option for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agrifood systems. Nat Food 7, 6–9 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-025-01291-z
Published:
Version of record:
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-025-01291-z
