Less Fertilizer, Better Outcomes: USDA Conservation Programs Benefit Both Farmers and the Planet

The report estimates that US farmers apply 30% to 50% more synthetic nitrogen fertilizer than crops can absorb, contributing to significant greenhouse gas emissions. It calculates total US fertilizer-related emissions at approximately 120 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent, with direct nitrous oxide emissions accounting for nearly 40% of this total. The document also analyzes the impact of USDA's Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), specifically Nutrient Management Practice 590, arguing that increased funding for these programs can reduce fertilizer dependency and generate economic benefits for farmers and the broader economy.

• US farmers apply between 30 and 50 percent more synthetic nitrogen fertilizer than crops can absorb, leading to runoff that harms ecosystems, people, and the climate.
• Total heat-trapping gas emissions from nitrogen fertilizer use in the United States are estimated at 119,971,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent, with direct nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions being the dominant source, representing nearly 40 percent of the total.
• Sensitivity analysis indicates that total US fertilizer-related emissions could range from a low estimate of 76,817,000 metric tons to a high estimate of 612,080,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent depending on model parameters.
• In 2023, 11.62 million metric tons (MMT) of nitrogen fertilizer were applied on US agricultural cropland, comprising approximately 58 percent of all fertilizer consumption in the country.
• USDA's Nutrient Management Practice 590 provides cost-sharing for nutrient management plans, with Minnesota leading Illinois and Iowa in both funding and implementation scale due to state water-quality rules and groundwater nitrate concerns.
• The implementation of Practice 590 is estimated to save producers an average of $29.28 in fertilizer costs per acre.

APA

Goswami, O., & Tshabalala, P. (2026). Less Fertilizer, Better Outcomes: USDA Conservation Programs Benefit Both Farmers and the Planet. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2026-02/Less-Fertilizer-Better-Outcomes-appendices.pdf

Chicago

Goswami, Omanjana, and Precious Tshabalala. Less Fertilizer, Better Outcomes: USDA Conservation Programs Benefit Both Farmers and the Planet. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2026. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2026-02/Less-Fertilizer-Better-Outcomes-appendices.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Goswami |first1=Omanjana |last2=Tshabalala |first2=Precious |title=Less Fertilizer, Better Outcomes: USDA Conservation Programs Benefit Both Farmers and the Planet |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=February 2026 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2026-02/Less-Fertilizer-Better-Outcomes-appendices.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{goswami2026less, author = {Goswami, Omanjana and Tshabalala, Precious}, title = {{Less Fertilizer, Better Outcomes: USDA Conservation Programs Benefit Both Farmers and the Planet}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2026}, month = feb, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2026-02/Less-Fertilizer-Better-Outcomes-appendices.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }