Food, Agriculture, and Land Use
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Provided by: Project Drawdown|Published on: February 2, 2024
Articles/WebsitesScientist Reviewed
9101112AP
Scientist Reviewed This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This resource is currently being revised by Project Drawdown but you can still research many of the other solutions in detail on their new Drawdown Explorer page.
- This article examines the harmful practices and possible solutions from the agriculture and forestry sectors.
- Students will learn that about a quarter of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture and forestry, that plant-based diets are ideal for emission reduction, and that reducing soil tillage can increase carbon absorption.
Subjects: Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, Health
Authors: Project Drawdown
Region: Global
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This article illustrates how important land is for plants and many animals.
- Students will benefit from this sector overview, which is concise while still covering the sector's many facets, such as human health and food security.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students must understand how greenhouse gases contribute to climate change.
- Students should know what carbon sinks are and why we need them.
Differentiation
- For this article, teachers can pause after reading about each area of focus in this sector and ask students for examples to gauge comprehension.
- To assess prior knowledge, teachers can ask the class questions about how agriculture impacts the environment before reading the article.
- Students can use this article for an argumentative essay on the best ways to reform worldwide agricultural practices and why such reforms are necessary.
- This article can enhance a classroom discussion on how economic systems influence land allocation and usage.
- Students with high levels of reading stamina can read some of the technical descriptions for solutions in the links at the bottom of the page.
This resource introduces a solution to reducing emissions by addressing people's diets and reducing food waste, and protecting ecosystems and shifting agricultural practices. There is a brief discussion of how land use can affect climate change and reduce greenhouse gases. The resource is an excellent addition to a lesson discussing alternative methods for reducing carbon emissions. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
About the Partner Provider
Project Drawdown
Project Drawdown is a nonprofit organization that seeks to help the world reach “drawdown”—the future point in time when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline. Cities, universities, corporations, philanthropies, policymakers, communities, educators, activists, and more turn to Project Drawdown as they look to advance effective climate action. Project Drawdown resources for educators include the database of Drawdown Solutions, educational video series Climate Solutions 101, the Drawdown Stories initiative, and more.
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
