Question

To feed the world and then some, farms and pastures take up a lot of space — 40 percent of all land globally is used for agriculture — and inevitably take a significant toll on the environment.

Agricultural practices generated 10 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States in 2019. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus — standard soil nutrients found in manure or chemical fertilizers — can leak from croplands into nearby waterways and eat up the oxygen in aquatic ecosystems, sometimes killing the creatures that call them home, and even making humans sick.

Meanwhile, as the costs of fertilizer, equipment and land itself rise, “farmers have to farm more and more acres” to make ends meet, said landscape ecologist Lisa Schulte Moore. As it becomes increasingly difficult for farm operations to be profitable enough to sustain people’s livelihoods, there are fewer and fewer active farms, according to the USDA’s Census of Agriculture, conducted every five years.To feed the world and then some, farms and pastures take up a lot of space — 40 percent of all land globally is used for agriculture — and inevitably take a significant toll on the environment.

Agricultural practices generated 10 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States in 2019. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus — standard soil nutrients found in manure or chemical fertilizers — can leak from croplands into nearby waterways and eat up the oxygen in aquatic ecosystems, sometimes killing the creatures that call them home, and even making humans sick.

Meanwhile, as the costs of fertilizer, equipment and land itself rise, “farmers have to farm more and more acres” to make ends meet, said landscape ecologist Lisa Schulte Moore. As it becomes increasingly difficult for farm operations to be profitable enough to sustain people’s livelihoods, there are fewer and fewer active farms, according to the USDA’s Census of Agriculture, conducted every five years.

Answer 1

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Below are a cleaned paragraph, a 2-sentence summary, and the key facts.

Cleaned paragraph
To feed the world and then some, farms and pastures take up a lot of space — 40 percent of all land globally is used for agriculture — and inevitably take a significant toll on the environment. Agricultural practices generated 10 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States in 2019. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus — standard soil nutrients found in manure or chemical fertilizers — can leak from croplands into nearby waterways, depleting oxygen in aquatic ecosystems, sometimes killing wildlife and even making people sick. Meanwhile, as the costs of fertilizer, equipment and land rise, “farmers have to farm more and more acres” to make ends meet, said landscape ecologist Lisa Schulte Moore. As it becomes increasingly difficult for farm operations to be profitable enough to sustain livelihoods, there are fewer and fewer active farms, according to the USDA’s Census of Agriculture.

2-sentence summary
Agriculture uses about 40% of global land and is a notable source of environmental harm, contributing 10% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 and causing nutrient pollution that damages waterways. Economic pressures — higher input and land costs — are forcing farmers to expand acreage to stay viable, and the number of active farms is declining.

Key facts (from the paragraph)
- ~40% of global land is used for agriculture.
- U.S. agriculture produced ~10% of national greenhouse gas emissions in 2019.
- Excess nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers/manure can cause oxygen-depleted water bodies (eutrophication), harming ecosystems and public health.
- Rising costs lead farmers to farm more acres; fewer active farms are reported in the USDA Census of Agriculture.

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