Of the major emitting sectors, agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU) is currently the only one with serious potential to become a net emissions sink, meaning it can pull more greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere than it emits. This makes AFOLU pivotal to reaching net zero emissions.

To achieve a stable climate, we need to put more emphasis and resources toward transforming AFOLU from a net source of emissions to a net sink—the kind of focus that is making transformative change achievable in sectors like power generation and transport.

Three examples provide a sense of the possibilities. Solar energy now enables low-cost electrification almost anywhere with big implications for irrigation, cold storage and food processing; bio-innovations, such as the Nobel prize-winning CRISPR-CAS gene editing technologies, hold tremendous promise; and digital innovations are now rapidly permeating the developing world.

Overall, positive innovation perspectives along with a solid track record of high returns to research and development investments in AFOLU indicate that a major innovation push in AFOLU and food systems has the potential to meet the ambitious sequestration goals that are implicit in a pledge for net-zero emissions globally, while also improving livelihoods, human nutrition, and the environment.

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