Review of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action White Paper on Building a Scientific Roadmap to a Carbon-Negative Agricultural System (2024)

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Review of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action White Paper on Building a Scientific Roadmap to a Carbon-Negative Agricultural System Committee on the Review of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action White Paper on Building a Scientific Roadmap to a Carbon-Negative Agriculture System Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources Division on Earth and Life Studies Consensus Study Report 

NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 This activity was supported by a contract between the National Academy of Sciences and U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action and the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research AWD-001124. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project. International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-71547-8 International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-71547-4 Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/27471 This publication is available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; http://www.nap.edu. Copyright 2024 by the National Academy of Sciences. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and National Academies Press and the graphical logos for each are all trademarks of the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Review of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action White Paper on Building a Scientific Roadmap to a Carbon-Negative Agricultural System. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/27471. 

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COMMITTEE ON THE REVIEW OF THE U.S. FARMERS AND RANCHERS IN ACTION WHITE PAPER ON BUILDING A SCIENTIFIC ROADMAP TO A CARBON-NEGATIVE AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM MICHAEL CLEGG (Chair), Professor, Emeritus, Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of California—Irvine S. CAROLINA CÓRDOVA, Assistant Professor and Statewide Soil Health Specialist, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska—Lincoln ERIC DAVIDSON, Professor, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science BRUCE MCCARL, University Distinguished Professor, Texas A&M University Department of Agricultural Economics PETER PFROMM, Professor, Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Washington State University JEFFREY SILVERSTEIN, Deputy Administrator, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service Study Staff ROBIN SCHOEN, Board Director ALBARAA SARSOUR, Program Officer SAMANTHA SISANACHANDENG, Senior Program Assistant MALIA BROWN, Program Assistant v 



Reviewers This Consensus Study Report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse per- spectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each published report as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We thank the following individuals for their review of this report: KRISTEN JOHNSON, Washington State University DONALD R. ORT (NAS), University of Illinois, Urbana—Champaign BRIAN ROE, The Ohio State University WILLIAM SCHLESINGER (NAS), Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations of this report, nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this report was overseen by JARED COHON1 (NAE), President and University Professor, Carnegie Mellon University (emeritus), and NORMAN R. SCOTT (NAE), Cornell University (emeritus). They were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with the standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the authoring committee and the National Academies. 1 Dr. Jared Cohon passed away in March 2024. vii 



Acknowledgments The committee would like to thank the members of the draft white paper authoring team, who met virtually to answer questions and clarify the white paper’s content. Appreciation is also extended to Yin Wang, U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action, and Allison Thomson, Foundation for Food & Agricultural Research, for helping to move the project forward. ix 



Contents PREFACE................................................................................................................................................. xiii SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................. 1 1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................. 2 The Committee’s Approach to the Task and Organization of the Report, 3 2 COMMITTEE REVIEW OF A DRAFT WHITE PAPER ON BUILDING A SCIENTIFIC ROADMAP TO A CARBON-NEGATIVE AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM ..................................... 4 General Assessment, 4 Major Issues of Concern, 5 Key Issues by Chapter, 9 Conclusion, 13 References, 13 APPENDIXES A SPECIFIC, EDITORIAL, AND MINOR CHAPTER COMMENTS ........................................... 15 B COMMITTEE BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ..................................................................... 43 xi 



Preface Agriculture writ large is a significant contributor to the Nation’s greenhouse gas emissions, yet sub- stantial potential exists for reducing the burden of agricultural activities on future climate change. Our committee was asked to provide a comprehensive review of a draft report that seeks to address this im- portant topic. We welcomed the opportunity to participate in a dialogue with the authors of the draft “White Paper on Building a Scientific Roadmap to a Carbon-Negative Agricultural System,” and we hope that our comments will contribute to an impactful final document. The origin and sponsorship of the report is unusual in that it involves civil society sponsors rather than agencies of government. The broad participation of other societal sectors is essential for the ultimate adop- tion of new and modified practices, so we welcome this important intervention in the ongoing dialogue on climate change. We also commend the members of the authoring group for their commitment and substan- tial efforts. Our review of the draft report is offered in the spirit of improving the draft and making a con- structive contribution to the final document. We hope that these efforts will assist society in addressing one of the major challenges of our time. Michael Clegg, Chair Committee to Review a White Paper on Building a Scientific Roadmap to a Carbon-Negative Agricultural System xiii