Farming for Clearer Skies : How Agriculture Contributes to Clean Air Solution

Overview & Synopsis

Air pollution and agriculture share a complex, two-way relationship in which agricultural activities both contribute to air pollution and are adversely affected by it. Practices such as pesticide application, fertilizer use, and livestock management release pollutants including volatile organic compounds, ammonia, and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere, contributing to smog formation and secondary air pollutants, while some pesticides react with other atmospheric chemicals to worsen air quality. In turn, air pollution negatively impacts agriculture, as fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ground-level ozone can damage crops by disrupting photosynthesis, reducing yields, and impairing plant growth. Moreover, polluted air can degrade soil quality, interfere with nutrient cycling, and harm beneficial soil microorganisms that are essential for healthy crop production, making it crucial to both reduce agricultural contributions to air pollution and address its harmful effects to ensure sustainable food production and environmental health. This report contributes towards the World Bank’s “Accelerating Access to Clean Air for a Livable Planet” report, which identifies the main sources of current air pollution and uses scenario modeling to demonstrate how integrated climate change and air quality management policies could yield significant reductions in future air pollution.