Agriculture
18% of 37 billion tonnes per year
Decarbonisation Pathway| 9 Sectorsmore details
| Sector | Emissions today | Decarbonisation pathway |
|---|---|---|
| Livestock methane | Very high — methane from livestock digestion, particularly cattle; the single largest agriculture source | Slow and hard — no electrification pathway; solutions are feed additives (3-NOP, seaweed), selective breeding, and herd management; dietary shift away from ruminant meat is the highest-leverage lever but demand-driven |
| Manure management | High — methane and nitrous oxide from stored animal waste | Moderate progress — anaerobic digestion captures methane for biogas; improving manure handling practices reduces emissions; investable today at farm and industrial scale |
| Fertiliser (N₂O) | Very high — nitrous oxide from nitrogen fertiliser application is a potent and persistent GHG | Slow — precision agriculture and variable-rate application reduce over-fertilisation; green ammonia (electrolytic hydrogen + nitrogen) decarbonises fertiliser production upstream; soil biology approaches early stage |
| Rice cultivation | High — flooded paddy fields produce methane through anaerobic decomposition | Moderate — alternate wetting and drying (AWD) techniques reduce emissions significantly; adoption constrained by water management infrastructure and farmer behaviour |
| Land use change & deforestation | Very high — clearing forest for agricultural land releases stored carbon; the largest single land-use emissions source | Mixed — deforestation rates declining in some regions, accelerating in others; zero-deforestation supply chain commitments from corporates beginning to have effect; monitoring via satellite improving enforcement |
| Soil carbon | Significant — conventional tillage releases soil organic carbon; degraded soils are a net source | Positive direction — regenerative agriculture, no-till, and cover cropping rebuild soil carbon; measurement and verification the key barrier to scaling carbon credit markets |
| Agricultural energy use | Moderate — diesel for machinery, irrigation pumping, heating for intensive livestock and horticulture | Transitioning — electric and hydrogen farm machinery developing; renewable-powered irrigation and controlled environment agriculture growing; follows the broader electrification trajectory |
| Food waste | Moderate — decomposing organic waste generates methane; a significant share occurs at farm level pre-market | Improvable — cold chain efficiency, better demand forecasting, and anaerobic digestion of unavoidable waste are the levers; relatively low-cost abatement opportunity |
| Aquaculture & fisheries | Low to moderate — vessel fuel and feed production dominate | Early transition — electric and hybrid vessels for short-range fisheries; feed innovation (insect protein, algae) reduces land-use pressure; a small but growing theme |
Livestock
Halter
FeaturedNew Zealand
A solar-powered smart collar for cows so farmers can make better farming decision through better data. By leveraging GPS, ML, and behavioural insights, Halter allows farmers to automate tasks such as grazing management, fencing, and animal health monitoring. This improves farm efficiency and reducing animal stress by ensuring optimal grazing conditions.
Founders
Soil Carbon
Loam
loambio.com ↗Australia
Globally scalable carbon sequestration by incentivising farmers to get carbon back into the soil. By coating seeds with the microbial inoculum before sowing, the plants and the microbes work together to build carbon in the soil and keep it there, increasing soil health, offering higher yields and boosting the bottom line for growers.
Machinery
Swarm Farm
FeaturedAustralia
Autonomous machines designed to operate in swarms, capable of planting, weeding, spraying and harvesting, enabling precise and efficient farming operations. This helps farmers improve productivity, reduce chemical use, and enhance sustainability.
Founders