Corn and soybean farmers can now quantify carbon intensity of crops bound for biofuels. A farmer plants corn into a cover crop, which is one of several regenerative agriculture practices that a new federal rule holds can reduce the overall greenhouse gas emissions of producing ethanol. Farmers growing corn and soybeans for biofuels can now quantify the carbon intensity of crops grown with certain regenerative agriculture practices, due to a recently finalized federal rule. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Regenerative Feedstock Rule will allow farmers to “capture new value” from agricultural practices like cover crops and reduced tillage, according to a news release from the department. According to the finalized rule, the production of corn accounts for more than 50% of the direct greenhouse gas emissions associated with producing corn ethanol, and nearly 50% of soybean biodiesel emissions are attributable to the feedstock crop production. The greenhouse gas emissions associated with growing corn and soybeans can be reduced with the “low-carbon practices” outlined in the final rule.
