Growing Returns

Selected tag(s): Walmart

Beyond regulation: making the business case for sustainable farming

By Suzy Friedman / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: January 7, 2015

Regulations and lawsuits generate more tension, disagreement, division, and, too often, failure to communicate, than just about anything else in the agricultural world. Regulations are on my mind of late because of several developments:

Ohio recently considered legislation to increase regulations on fertilizer applications after a toxic algae bloom last August shut down water supplies to nearly half a million people.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in the final stages of a proposal to resolve ongoing confusion about the extent of federal jurisdiction over isolated wetlands and streams under the Clean Water Act (CWA), clarifying which are protected and which are not, based on science. Sixty percent of our nation’s streams lack clear protection from pollution under the CWA, yet one of every three Americans gets their drinking water from streams that are vulnerable to pollution. Just this week, new Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell noted that Congress will address this proposal in the current legislative session.

Posted in Supply Chain / Also tagged agriculture, ecosystems, fertilizer, nitrogen, nutrient efficiency, nutrient pollution, Partnerships, regulation, sustainable agriculture, toxic algae, water quality, western water | Read 1 Response

A new decision-making tool for farmers: more climate data

By Rebecca Shaw / Bio / Published: December 19, 2014

Rebecca Shaw is participating in the First Working Meeting of the Global Alliance for climate-smart agriculture on December 17 and 18, taking place in Rome

Rebecca Shaw participated in the first working meeting of the Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture on December 17 and 18 in Rome.

The President’s Climate Data Initiative launched earlier this year to bring vast amounts of government data together in one place for communities and businesses to use when making decisions in the face of climate change. Last week, the Department of Interior and other executive branch offices released more data specific to water and ecosystems, as well as new geospatial tools, that will help natural resource managers – including farmers – better prepare for the future.

The newly released data sets include critical information about stream flow, soil, land cover and biodiversity, and are complemented by tools that will enable users to visualize and overlay data sets related to ecosystems, land use, water and wildlife. Together, the new data and tools will help farmers build resilience to the impacts of changing weather. Read More »

Posted in Climate Resilience / Also tagged agriculture, climate change, climate data, Climate Data Initiative, climate-smart agriculture, Coca-Cola, EcoINFORMA, ecosystems, IBM, Microsoft, National Climate Assessment, rebecca shaw, sustainable agriculture, White House | Comments are closed

How one business is reducing nutrient losses on 10 million acres

By Suzy Friedman / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: October 14, 2014

The people over at United Suppliers are savvy. When they caught wind of Walmart’s pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by, in part, asking its top suppliers to reduce fertilizer losses from cropping systems, they jumped at the chance to differentiate themselves in the marketplace.

“For us, it was a no brainer,” says Matt Carstens, United Suppliers vice president. “If Walmart and major food companies have identified fertilizer pollution as a business risk, it makes sense for us to help them address that risk. We want to be at the forefront of helping farmers meet these demands. It’s a great business opportunity, not to mention the right thing to do.

“After all, farmers want the same thing. Reduced losses translate to increased profits and greater sustainability.”

Posted in Supply Chain / Also tagged 4Rs, agriculture, ecosystems, fertilizer, food production, GHG mitigation, Lake Erie, SUSTAIN, sustainable agriculture, United Suppliers | Comments are closed

A business-smart approach to ending fertilizer pollution

By Suzy Friedman / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: October 6, 2014

Toxic algae bloom in Lake Erie. Photo credit: NOAA

The toxic algae scare in Toledo this past summer really drove home the problem of fertilizer pollution in this country, right through the faucets of half a million unsuspecting residents. Don’t drink the water, officials warned. Don’t even touch it.

We need and rely on farmers every day for our well-being. But when producing food for a growing population threatens to deprive us of water, another life essential, it’s time to rethink the way we feed America.

That’s why I’m so excited about EDF’s new Sustainable Sourcing Initiative. Our goal in this collaborative effort is to engage every player in the U.S. grain supply chain to solve what has been an intractable problem for decades.

The challenge

Fertilizer, of course, is necessary for achieving high crop yields. But its inefficient use contributes to climate instability and causes dead zones that contaminate water supplies and kill millions of fish each year.

Posted in Supply Chain / Also tagged agriculture, Chesapeake Bay, ecosystems, fertilizer, food production, food security, Lake Erie, nitrogen, Partnerships, Toledo, toxic algae | Comments are closed

Lake Erie’s fertilizer problem isn’t over, but we’re working on it

By Karen Chapman / Bio / Published: August 6, 2014

Fertilizer is the engine of agriculture, but its inefficient use means that excess fertilizer ends up in our waterways, contaminating freshwater supplies and causing algae blooms, such as those that recently cut off water supplies to hundreds of thousands of residents in Toledo, OH. In addition to impacts on communities, algae blooms also affect ecosystems, killing millions of fish and harming the seafood and recreation industries.

Nutrient runoff from fertilizer is a problem that many stakeholders, including farmers, have been trying to fix for many years, both in the Western Lake Erie Basin and beyond. The efforts to date have had a real impact, but that impact has not been nearly enough to solve the problem of dangerous and costly dead zones.

We need to do much more at a much larger scale, while also increasing productivity to feed a growing population.

Posted in Uncategorized / Also tagged Adapt Network, ecosystems, fertilizer, fertilizer runoff, General Mills, Lake Erie, Ohio, sustainable agriculture, Toledo, toxic algae, water contamination, water quality, western water | Comments are closed

Reducing risks to corn production requires a supply chain solution

By Suzy Friedman / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: July 14, 2014

Photo: © John Rae

Corn is our country’s biggest crop economically and takes up nearly one-third of U.S. cropland. It is a pillar of our food production system – a key ingredient in everything from drinks, sauces and snack foods to dairy products, fuel and meat.

So when news about corn’s risky future pops up, we should all take note, and the entire agricultural supply chain should work toward solutions.

Water & Climate Risks Facing U.S. Corn Production, produced by the nonprofit sustainability advocate Ceres, is the latest analysis to sound the warning bell.

Last year U.S. corn growers harvested a record 14 billion bushels of corn, making them among the most productive farmers in the world (this year’s harvest is expected to be huge as well). But climate change and groundwater depletion are threatening to undermine corn’s success as global demand increases. Inefficient fertilizer use is compounding the problem.

Posted in Climate Resilience, Supply Chain / Also tagged agriculture, Ceres, Climate, commodity crops, corn, drought, ecosystems, fertilizer, Field to Market, grains, Smithfield, supply chain | Comments are closed

Smithfield Foods, world’s largest pork producer, works with EDF to cut emissions

By Maggie Monast / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: May 22, 2014

Corn is a common hog feed

First, the facts: We will have 9 billion people on the planet by 2050. That’s 2 billion more than we have today – stretching Earth’s land and water resources to meet nutritional needs in a dramatically changing climate.

In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency calculates that agriculture is the fifth-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, contributing 8 percent of total GHGs. Fertilizer use and soil management are responsible for half of those emissions.

Next, the challenge: Many farmers encounter difficulties in determining the precise amount of nitrogen fertilizer their crops need. It gets tricky. Using too little fertilizer can limit crop production. Too much fertilizer pollutes water and emits a potent greenhouse gas called nitrous oxide, which is 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.

The stark reality is that crop production must increase approximately 70 percent by 2050 to feed our growing human population. We cannot choose between agricultural productivity and sustainability — we must have both. Read More »

Posted in Carbon Market, Climate Resilience / Also tagged ecosystems, feed grain, fertilizer, nitrogen, pork, Smithfield Foods, sustainable agriculture | Comments are closed

From field to table, how companies and farmers are working together to feed the world sustainably

By Suzy Friedman / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: May 1, 2014

Len Corzine in the field

If we’re going to meet the food needs of a growing world population while sustaining the natural resources on which we all depend, we’re going to need the help of American farmers. From organic to conventional, local to global, small to very large, everyone will need to do their part — including companies working in the agriculture supply chain that brings food to our tables.

That’s why I was so excited to attend the Walmart Sustainability Expo in Bentonville, Arkansas, this week with a farmer who has a deep commitment to economic and environmental sustainability on his operation.

Len Corzine grows corn and soybeans around Assumption, Illinois, and has been a leader in the agricultural community for a long time. He is now contributing his insights and experiences as a farmer to help major food companies meet Walmart’s preference for nitrogen-efficient products. Len was invited to Walmart’s Sustainability Expo to spread the gospel of sustainable agriculture. Read More »

Posted in Climate Resilience / Also tagged ecosystems, fertilizer, nitrogen, Partnerships, sustainable agriculture | Comments are closed