Published by the Sustainable Development Commission, a new study undertaken by ADAS, starting with the premise that oil prices reach $100/barrel of oil, explores: The direct impact of increased energy prices upon UK farm businesses, with consideration to the potential for a change in farm practice. The wider impact of increased energy prices on the UK food supply chain, and hence the competitiveness of the UK agricultural industry. This report makes the following key findings:

This report, published by Greenpeace International was written by researchers from the University of Aberdeen. It puts agriculture’s global contribution to GHG emissions at 17 and 32% of all human-induced GHG emissions, including land use changes. However, it also says that agriculture has a significant climate change mitigation potential, which could change the position of agriculture from the second largest emitter to a much smaller emitter or even a net sink. Mitigation options fall into the following categories: Cropland management Grazing management

The UK has only managed to cut its GHG emissions by exporting them to other countries, according to research by Dieter Helm, a government advisor and professor at Oxford University. Including emissions from imported goods and international transport, its emissions have risen by a fifth since 1990.

Wood R, Lenzen M, Dey C and Lundie S (2006). A comparative study of some environmental impacts of conventional and organic farming in Australia, Agricultural Systems 89 324–348 is an Australian input-output analysis which concludes in favour of organic across a range of indicators (including GHGs).