Which high-warming-potential gases are primarily emitted by food systems activities?
Answer
Methane and nitrous oxide
Global food system activities, which include land use shifts, livestock rearing, and waste generation, are responsible for a significant portion of all global greenhouse gas emissions, estimated between 21–37%. Critically, these systems are the largest contributors to atmospheric methane and nitrous oxide. These two gases possess a far greater warming potential than carbon dioxide over the near term. If emissions from fossil fuels were to cease immediately, the ongoing emissions from food systems alone could still propel the world past the crucial 1.5 degrees Celsius global warming threshold.
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