Avoided Emissions in the Agriculture & Food Sector

Agriculture and food systems account for roughly one-third of global GHG emissions. WBCSD’s new sectoral guidance, Avoided Emissions in the Agriculture & Food Sector, equips companies with robust methodologies to credibly assess and scale solutions that reduce emissions across the agriculture and food value chain.

Who is it for?

This publication is for sustainability teams, product developers, procurement, finance, marketing and communications teams in the agriculture and food sector— including input providers, farmers and producers, manufacturing, processing, packaging and retail. It is also relevant for investors and policymakers aiming to reliably assess and compare the impact of low-carbon interventions in the agriculture & food sector.

Why read it?

• Get step-by-step guidance on defining, scoping, validating and leveraging AE claims for agricultural and food solutions.
• Access five practical case studies that provide solutions-specific AE assessment guidance including low-carbon animal feed, high-precision farming, bio-stimulants in crop cultivation, bioplastics packaging to reduce food loss waste, and plant-based proteins.
• Learn how to address sector-specific challenges, such as data access, implications of seasonal variability and side effect assessment.
• Support credible, transparent AE claims that align with the latest science and regulatory expectations.

Quantifying and communicating avoided emissions helps companies drive innovation, meet stakeholder expectations, and access sustainable finance. This guidance supports your journey to climate-smart agriculture and food systems.

This document complements the Guidance on Avoided Emissions v2.0: Drive Innovations and Scale Solutions Toward Net Zero, which provides a cross-sectoral framework for AE assessment.