How could payments for U.S. climate-smart farming practices change the regional adoption of conservation practices?

Abstract

Recent U.S. policies have promoted climate-smart farming practices. However, little is known about the costs of practice adoption or the regional allocation of support. The primary objective of this study is to identify cost-effective agricultural practices for climate mitigation and determine where practices might be targeted regionally. This study uses marginal abatement cost curves for six mitigation practices to analyze how conservation funding could incentivize adoption. Using a social benefit threshold of $51 per metric ton, we estimate that a combined total (across each of the practices) of 90 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions could be cost-effectively mitigated or sequestered annually. For the purposes of conservation targeting, we outline the regions where the adoption of these practices is potentially the most cost-effective.