As UN Climate Change Conference kicks off, expert says sustainability can actually increase agricultural productivity growth

As world leaders converge on Belem, Brazil, this week for the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), a new report from Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences challenges the notion that sustainable practices in agriculture hurt productivity. 

Four new case studies released by the Global Agricultural Productivity (GAP) Initiative at Virginia Tech examine how agricultural policies in the United States, Brazil, and India are influencing the adoption of climate-smart practices such as regenerative agriculture, efficient irrigation, and low-carbon biofuel production.

“The good news is our studies provide a playbook,” said Jessica Agnew, managing editor of the Global Agricultural Productivity Initiative’s annual report. “In Brazil, market-based carbon credits are linking regenerative farming to low-carbon biofuels, while in India, policy bundles that pair cash incentives with access to key machinery are proving far more effective at scaling climate-smart practices than cash payments alone. These are the proven models policymakers should be discussing.” 

The 2025 GAP Report shows that Total Factor Productivity growth — a measure of how efficiently and sustainably agricultural resources like land and labor are turned into products — has fallen to just 0.76% annually, far below the 2% annual target needed to feed the expected 2050 global population of 9.7 billion people. Growth in the U.S. hit a rate of -0.19% per year, its lowest rate in more than six decades, while rapidly growing countries such as China are nearing 2%. 

"This slowdown directly threatens our ability to meet the climate goals being discussed at COP30, but the good news is that we’re also seeing sustainable and scalable policy models that work,” Agnew said. “The question is no longer whether agriculture is part of the climate solution but how we design policy to deliver both sustainability and productivity. Doing so is essential for the livelihoods of our farmers.”

About Jessica Agnew

Jessica Agnew is associate director of CALS Global at Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, where she also serves as managing editor of the GAP Report and co-leads the GAP Initiative. Her work centers on fostering equitable, resilient agri-food systems and expanding access to nutritious foods around the world. Drawing on her unique background as a former chef, Agnew’s research employs innovative tools like blockchain technology to strengthen value chains and increase food security. She holds a Ph.D. in planning, governance, and globalization from Virginia Tech. 

Schedule an interview

To schedule an interview with Jessica Agnew, contact Noah Frank at nafrank@vt.edu or 805-453-2556.

-Written by Jess Agnew and Alex Hood