Pollution and Value Added in Agriculture: Evidence from the Biggest Agricultural Producers in the European Union

Agricultural pollution might have many sources, but the consequences could refer to direct and downstream effects. The impact of pollution on climate change has intensified the research in this field. This paper proposes a revised Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) adapted to agriculture by considering value added in this sector instead of GDP. The results using CCEMG estimator for the biggest agricultural producers in the EU (France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Romania, Poland, Greece, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Hungary) in the period 2009–2020 could support policy measures to reduce pollution. The inverted-N pattern and the positive impact of energy consumption and employment in agriculture suggest that more efforts are necessary to reduce GHG emissions in this sector by promoting green technology, renewable energy, and qualified labour force to use advanced technology in agriculture.