How to accelerate emissions reductions in the agriculture sector? Put farmers at the center of methane action

The policy brief emphasizes that because action on agricultural methane occurs on the farm, countries must design context-specific policies that support farmers' economic interests while reducing emissions. It highlights a gap in national climate strategies, noting that while many Global Methane Pledge signatories include agricultural methane in their NDCs, very few have quantifiable targets. The document advocates for a mix of economic incentives and technical support, citing Brazil's Programa Mais Leite Saudável as a model for using tax credits to drive industry-wide practice shifts. It concludes by calling for philanthropic investment in applied research and the 'Plan to Accelerate' initiative to provide the evidence base and strategic information needed to scale these interventions.

• Agricultural methane is significantly underrepresented in national climate policies; although 85 signatories of the Global Methane Pledge have included agricultural methane in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), only 4% have set quantifiable reduction targets, and none align with the pledge's 2020 reference year or timeframe.
• There is a perceived but false tradeoff between agricultural development and methane mitigation; in reality, climate change threatens the sector by altering rain patterns and undermining pasture quality, which can increase methane production and erode farmer livelihoods.
• Effective methane reduction requires a farmer-centered approach where adoption is driven by clear benefits to farm management, financial returns, market access, and social acceptance within communities.
• Brazil's Programa Mais Leite Saudável serves as a successful model for scaling agricultural change by providing tax credits to dairy processors who invest in technical assistance for their suppliers, benefiting over 394,000 dairy farmers since 2015.
• Global methane policies are currently insufficient and geographically concentrated, with only 17% of the 13% of global methane emissions covered by policies coming from the agriculture sector, and these are primarily focused on manure management in Europe, North America, and the Asia-Pacific region.

APA

Ferreira, F. (2026). How to accelerate emissions reductions in the agriculture sector? Put farmers at the center of methane action. Clean Air Task Force. https://www.catf.us/2026/02/how-to-accelerate-emissions-reductions-agriculture-sector-put-farmers-center-methane-action/

Chicago

Ferreira, Fernanda. How to accelerate emissions reductions in the agriculture sector? Put farmers at the center of methane action. Clean Air Task Force, 2026. https://www.catf.us/2026/02/how-to-accelerate-emissions-reductions-agriculture-sector-put-farmers-center-methane-action/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ferreira |first1=Fernanda |title=How to accelerate emissions reductions in the agriculture sector? Put farmers at the center of methane action |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=9 February 2026 |url=https://www.catf.us/2026/02/how-to-accelerate-emissions-reductions-agriculture-sector-put-farmers-center-methane-action/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ferreira2026how, author = {Ferreira, Fernanda}, title = {{How to accelerate emissions reductions in the agriculture sector? Put farmers at the center of methane action}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2026}, month = feb, url = {https://www.catf.us/2026/02/how-to-accelerate-emissions-reductions-agriculture-sector-put-farmers-center-methane-action/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }