Growing Returns

Two ways to improve soil carbon measurement

By Anna Raffeld / Published: April 25, 2024

Carbon markets and carbon monitoring programs track changes in cropland soil carbon stock over time to determine how agricultural management practices impact carbon storage in soil.

Soil carbon stock is typically measured by taking soil samples prior to the adoption of a new farming practice, followed by additional sampling after the practice has been in effect for several years.

However, commonly used methods to measure soil carbon stocks may not accurately capture how that carbon is changing over time, potentially undermining important mitigation efforts.

We need scientifically robust and accessible ways to measure soil carbon to ensure that different practice changes deliver reliable results. New research from Environmental Defense Fund highlights two best practices for measuring carbon in soil.

Posted in Agriculture / Tagged carbon sequestration, carbon storage, climate mitigation, Soil carbon | Read 1 Response

EU must act to protect farms and food production from climate risk

By Justin Zahra / Published: April 11, 2024

Farms like the German wheat field depicted must manage climate change risks.

Wheat field near Oberaudorf in Bavaria, Germany by Uwe Schwarzbach.

At the same time as farmers were protesting in European capitals to demand more certainty for their future, the European Environment Agency published a report highlighting serious climate risk to food security. The European Climate Risk Assessment identified 36 major climate risks for Europe related to food, ecosystems, health, infrastructure, the economy and finance. The assessment mapped the direct and cascading effects of these risks and the hotspot areas for the most serious impacts.

The stark conclusion for food is that “climate impacts on food production (particularly in southern Europe) can cascade to rural and coastal livelihoods, land use, the health of socially vulnerable populations and the wider economy.” The report also warns that while climate-driven food shortages are unlikely because production decreases in some areas may be offset by robust production in other areas, food price increases and volatility are likely.

For Europe overall, drought, heat and overly wet conditions will hurt regional production. Southern Europe already faces critical levels of climate risk. Successive years of prolonged drought and excessive heat have resulted in crop failures and reduced yields to the tune of 60% reductions for corn yields in some southern European countries.

EU policymakers and farmers’ business partners must act urgently to support EU farmers in building resilience to climate risk and adopting climate-friendly farming solutions. This is essential to keep the agriculture sector profitable and productive in a climate-changed world. Read More »

Posted in Agriculture / Tagged climate risk, Common Agricultural Policy, European Union | Comments are closed

Developing effective ways to measure a community’s climate resilience

By Anushi Garg, Sr. Analyst for EDF's Climate Resilient Coasts & Watersheds NY-NJ program / Published: February 27, 2024

Co-authored by: Anushi Garg and Ravena Pernanand

Anushi is the senior analyst for Environmental Defense Fund’s Climate Resilient Coasts & Watersheds program in New York-New Jersey. Ravena is a research analyst at Regional Plan Association.

Across the globe, we are experiencing detrimental impacts from climate change, with low-wealth communities and communities of color hit the hardest. And while there are several ways we can measure climate impacts — such as determining sea level rise or increasing temperatures — we still lack ways to easily answer the question “how resilient are we?” Or “how does one community’s resilience compare to another?” The right tools are needed to understand how well our communities, ecosystems and infrastructure bounce back from or avoid climate impacts in order for government officials, advocates and community members to effectively assess, track and implement future solutions.

To address this gap, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Regional Plan Association (RPA) collaborated on a pilot project alongside partners and stakeholders in New York City. We characterized stakeholders’ resilience priorities, such as having access to affordable and climate-safe shelter, and identified indicators that could measure the progress of these priorities. Read More »

Posted in Agriculture / Tagged climate resilience, community resilience, flood resilience, resilience | Comments are closed

PACE Crop Insurance helps an Illinois farmer improve conservation and save money

By Erin Leonard / Published: February 23, 2024

Co-authored by Pinion

The use and production of fertilizer in agriculture is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and a major cause of pollution in the nation’s rivers and lakes. Agriculture is the largest global source of nitrogen pollution, and annual damages from nitrogen pollution are estimated to exceed $200 billion in the US. Enhancing nitrogen use efficiency and optimizing application techniques is essential to reducing these impacts.

Posted in Agriculture / Tagged economics, farm finance, farmer, insurance, PACE, resilient | Comments are closed

Lenders want to support farmers’ conservation efforts. Here’s how their executives can help.

By Mai Lan Hoang / Published: February 7, 2024

corn plants in a conservation practice field in the midwest

Low angle view of young corn plants in a field after the rain

A new survey of agricultural lenders in the upper Midwest reveals important insights about their perceptions and support for farmers’ conservation efforts. As the first of its kind, the survey can inform agricultural lending institutions’ climate and sustainability strategy development.

Farmers rely on agricultural lending institutions for loans to cover equipment, land and operating expenses. In particular, loan officers at these institutions hold relationships with farmers and are often seen as trusted advisers and sources of information. Their perspectives and knowledge of conservation agriculture can significantly influence farmers’ progress in adopting conservation practices.

Posted in Agriculture / Tagged agricultural, agricultural lenders, conservation, ecosystems, farm finance, farmers, lenders | Comments are closed

Increasing extreme heat is hurting Kansas farmers’ bottom line

By Mai Lan Hoang / Published: January 17, 2024

During the summer of 2023, Kansas endured a historic heat wave with temperatures soaring above 110°F in some areas. As climate change continues to intensify, the frequency and severity of extreme heat are projected to increase. Are Kansas farmers at risk of losing money in the face of these extreme growing conditions? A new study by EDF, Kansas State University and Cornell University aimed to answer this question by examining the impacts of extreme heat over the last four decades.

Posted in Agriculture / Tagged agricultural finance, crop, ecosystems, extreme heat, farm, farm finance, finance, kansas, wheat | Comments are closed

Revisiting a centuries-old approach to farming that embraces water scarcity.

By afajardoanstine / Published: December 7, 2023

As discussions at COP28 wrestle with climate impacts on global food and water security, we hear from a Hopi farmer on his thriving practice of dry farming and his hopes for shared learning in Dubai.

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The arid climate of the Hopi reservation in northeastern Arizona receives a mere 8.5 inches of annual rainfall. For perspective, the yearly United States average is 30 inches. Despite this severe aridity, for over 3,000 years, the Hopi people have stewarded an extraordinary agricultural tradition centered on dry farming.

Dr. Michael Kotutwa Johnson is an Indigenous Resiliency Specialist at the University of Arizona and a leading practitioner of Hopi dry farming — a form of agriculture that eschews irrigation in regions with limited water moisture. As a 250th-generation Hopi dry farmer, his ongoing traditional practices are a testament to the power of cultural values and the potential of climate-adaptive farming. These ongoing Hopi farming practices defy modern notions of crop needs and vulnerability in areas with limited irrigation and water supply.

Also posted in Food, Water / Tagged agriculture, climate change, climate resilience, colorado river, conservation, drought, environmental defense fund, farmers, food production, sustainability, water quality, water use | Comments are closed

Water is a high-level priority at COP 28, we need to look to ground-level users for solutions

By Ann Hayden / Bio / Published: November 30, 2023

Water has finally reached the highest levels of global climate negotiations. The path to a sustainable freshwater future, however, lies with ground-level users. At COP 28, EDF is elevating their voices, their needs and the approaches they find most useful.

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While greenhouse gases drive climate change, many of its impacts are inherently liquid. Whether through drought, flood, sea-level rise, or contamination, water increasingly forms the turbulent core of the climate crisis.

Over the past year, this basic reality was finally acknowledged at the global planning table. Thanks to a strong push from its Egyptian hosts, last year’s edition of the main UN climate conference, COP 27, made water a central theme. The cover decision — the summation of the conference’s key agreements — featured water and food for the first time. The decision acknowledged the central role of water in countering climate impacts and called for water-related targets in national climate planning.

Also posted in Water / Tagged agriculture, climate change, climate resilience, conservation, cover crops, drought, environmental defense fund, sustainability, water quality | Comments are closed

Trends to scale collective impact at the 2023 Sustainable Agriculture Summit and beyond

By Maggie Monast / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: November 21, 2023

hand in soil showcasing cover crop growth.

Establishing a cover crop during the cool season.

In early December, the EDF climate-smart agriculture team will join hundreds of farmers, food and agriculture companies, university experts and other conservation organizations at the 2023 Sustainable Agriculture Summit, “Scaling Collective Impact: Collaborating to Accelerate Agricultural Sustainability.” This conference is one of the largest annual gatherings of people working to improve sustainability in U.S. agriculture, and the discussions held in the conference sessions and hallways reflect the major trends, opportunities and challenges facing those who share this goal.

Here are some expected “hot topic” discussions at the conference and throughout the agricultural sustainability movement as we approach 2024.

Posted in Agriculture / Tagged agricultural finance, agriculture, farm finance, sustainable | Comments are closed