Growing Returns

Selected tag(s): agriculture

Why we need a new era of collaborative conservation

By Josette Lewis / Bio / Published: August 11, 2017

This year’s Gulf of Mexico dead zone is the largest ever recorded, affecting 8,776 square miles – similar in size to the state of New Jersey.

Agriculture – from fertilizers and livestock production – is a major source of the nutrients that cause these harmful algal blooms in our lakes and coastal areas. Fertilizers are required to grow food, but we know that making farming practices more efficient and creating natural buffers and filters around farms can reduce runoff.

Farming is already risky business, with unpredictable weather, tough global competition and fluctuating commodity prices.

Implementing conservation practices at scale without hurting growers’ productivity requires understanding the challenges of different sectors and bringing together their expertise and investment. It’s a collaborative effort, and we must recognize that we are all working around a common goal: a more sustainable food system.

This month, Environmental Defense Fund is launching a series of public events – in Bozeman, St. Louis, and Des Moines – to highlight, advance, and celebrate collaborations among private landowners, food and agriculture companies, policy makers, and the public.

Posted in Supply Chain, Wildlife Protection / Also tagged algae bloom, collaboration, conservation, dead zone, ecosystems, environmental defense fund, farm bill, farmers, food production, food security, natural resources, NCGA, NRCS, Partnerships, sustainability, sustainable agriculture, USDA, Walmart | Comments are closed

This Illinois farmer is breaking down siloes. Here’s how.

By Suzy Friedman / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: July 27, 2017

My first impression of Len Corzine was that he isn’t the kind of guy who sits back and waits for people to bring him ideas on how to innovate or improve stewardship – he actively searches for them himself. He then shares these ideas with peers and colleagues.

When I visited Len’s farm in Assumption, Illinois, five years ago, I immediately saw that Len was an early adopter of tools and technologies to help him grow more with less. Like a kid with a brand new bike, Len could not wait to show me the computer software he was using for soil samples and variable rate application of nutrients, or the maps that helped guide his every decision.

To date, Len’s farm has reduced soil erosion, cut fertilizer use per bushel by half, and adopted satellite-guidance technology in its tractors to reduce fuel and chemical use. All while yield productivity has increased 80 percent. Read More »

Posted in Uncategorized / Also tagged agtech, ecosystems, healthy soils, soil conservation, soil health, sustainable, sustainable agriculture | Comments are closed

3 ways the farm bill can protect croplands from extreme weather

By Suzy Friedman / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: July 12, 2017

Photo Credit: Flickr user Benjamin Disinger (License)

Here’s a statement that everyone can agree on, regardless of politics: Farmers benefit from making their croplands more resilient to the effects of extreme weather.

Report after report, including a study this week in the journal Nature Geoscience, has shown that shifting climatic conditions will hit agriculture hard, threatening food supplies and farmers’ incomes. This week’s report found that in years when the Arctic was warmer than normal, the average decline in yields across the United States was as high as 4 percent – and in Texas, corn yields were as low as 20 percent of what they are in typical years.

Farmers can take steps to protect their operations from extreme weather – but they can’t do it alone.

The 2018 farm bill can and should play a powerful role in helping farmers adapt to changing climatic conditions by prioritizing and supporting public-private partnerships, innovation, and financial models that can accelerate deployment of conservation practices.

Posted in Climate Resilience / Also tagged collaborative conservation, Congress, conservation, extreme weather, farm bill, innovation, NRCS, precision agriculture, RCPP, resilience, RMA, sustainable agriculture, USDA | Read 1 Response

What does the end of the Paris deal mean for agricultural innovation?

By Suzy Friedman / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: June 15, 2017

Agriculture has faced increasing disruption from extreme weather and climate shifts over the past 40 years.

In the face of an ever-changing climate, agricultural innovation is more important than ever.

No matter your views on climate change, the United States’ exit from the Paris agreement could compromise the ability of farmers and agribusinesses to become more resilient in the face of extreme weather events.

In the absence of federal leadership, individual farmers, state and national ag associations, food companies, retailers, and environmental organizations will need to fill the void.

I’m confident we can do this, because all the farmers I’ve ever known are incredible innovators and are willing to implement practices that can mitigate the effects of an unpredictable climate – practices that also protect their businesses. Read More »

Posted in Climate Resilience / Also tagged climate change, conservation, environmental defense fund, farmers, food production, Paris agreement, precision agriculture, sustainable agriculture, USDA | Comments are closed

The hidden opportunity for water storage in California

By Maurice Hall / Bio / Published: June 1, 2017

Aerial photo released by the California Department of Water Resources, showing the damaged spillway with eroded hillside in Oroville

California’s historic winter ended the drought in many parts of the state and piled up record levels of snowpack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. With so much precipitation, surface water infrastructure – our network of dams, reservoirs and levees – has been called into action like never before, and in some cases has struggled to handle the influx of flows.

With spring temperatures on the rise, snowmelt and runoff have accelerated, adding another wave of stress to the system. And with snowpack still at 192% of average, there is even more runoff on the way.

So where will all this water go?

With many reservoirs near capacity already, water managers have had to allow spring snowmelt to flow out through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and into the ocean. This is inevitable given the sheer amount of water in the system this year, and in fact, these occasional high flows provide multiple benefits to ecosystems and coastal communities.

Posted in Uncategorized / Also tagged aquifers, california, central valley, groundwater, groundwater management, groundwater recharge, natural infrastructure, sustainable groundwater management act, water use, western water | Read 4 Responses

Conservation Technical Assistance should not get lost in the shuffle

By Callie Eideberg / Bio / Published: May 12, 2017

Farmers understand the importance of sustainability and conservation in ag practices Yesterday, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced a massive reorganization of the agency. Among other changes, the Secretary plans to create a new Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation to oversee the Farm Service Agency (FSA), the Risk Management Agency (RMA), and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Previously, NRCS reported to the Undersecretary of Natural Resources and the Environment, and both RMA and FSA reported to the Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services.

On the surface, combining conservation and farm productivity programs makes sense, since sustainability is almost always good for a producer’s bottom line. Reducing duplication and bureaucracy between these agencies could streamline efforts to implement conservation practices while protecting farmers’ incomes. However, a lot remains to be seen and will depend on who fills the Undersecretary position.

No matter who fills that role, Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) funding and outreach should remain a top priority under the new organization. Here’s why. Read More »

Posted in Uncategorized / Also tagged conservation, cover crops, ecosystems, environmental defense fund, farm bill, farmers, farming, fertilizer, food production, nitrogen, NRCS, nutrient efficiency, Sonny Perdue, sustainability, sustainable agriculture, technical assistance, USDA | Comments are closed

Why Sonny Perdue should prioritize these 3 farm programs

By Callie Eideberg / Bio / Published: April 24, 2017

Sonny Perdue will now lead the United States Department of Agriculture The U.S. Senate will confirm the Secretary of Agriculture today, empowering former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue to lead an agency with a $155 billion budget, some 100,000 employees and ultimate responsibility for our nation’s food security.

Over 80 percent of this budget goes toward farm programs, food stamps, school meals and other mandatory spending programs. The remainder goes to protect farmers’ livelihoods, rural economies and the environment – but according to the Administration’s budget proposals, this pot of funding could be cut by over 21 percent.

Retaining current funding levels for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) – and conservation programs in particular – ensures that farmers can remain productive during periods of extreme weather, protects habitat for wildlife without sacrificing profitability and improves on-farm efficiencies.

Secretary Perdue will need to advocate on behalf of farmers to protect these programs – and he’ll need help from the private sector, since the federal government alone cannot maintain farming as a core industry in America, make sustainable agriculture the norm or feed a growing population.

Here are three programs that provide widespread benefits – and that should be a top priority for the new Secretary. Read More »

Posted in Wildlife Protection / Also tagged confirmation, confirmation hearing, conservation, Conservation Reserve Program, Conservation Stewardship Program, cover crops, ecosystems, Environmental Quality Incentives Program, farm bill, food production, NRCS, Partnerships, pollution, profitability, public-private partnerships, Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, sustainability, sustainable agriculture, USDA, water quality, Working Lands for Wildlife | Comments are closed

How my passion for food and history led me to the farm bill

By Callie Eideberg / Bio / Published: April 4, 2017

Despite growing up without any real interest in conservation or farming, I now spend every working day knee deep in agricultural policy – and I love it.

I grew up in the suburbs of Louisville, Kentucky, the daughter of a teacher and a salesman. My parents instilled in me a love and deep respect for the place. I was taught to value the importance of rural America, farming, horse racing and bourbon.

But it’s an obsession with food and history that brought me to where I am today. For as long as I can remember, I’ve started planning my dinner at breakfast time. After college, my passion for government led me to law school – but I just couldn’t ignore my love of food. Read More »

Posted in Uncategorized / Also tagged california, conservation, cooking, ecosystems, farm bill, farmers, farming, Florida, food, food production, Kentucky, law school, NRCS, sustainable agriculture, Tulane, USDA, USDA NRCS | Read 1 Response

What was left off the menu at the WSJ Global Food Forum?

By Jenny Ahlen / Bio / Published: October 14, 2016

Mother with child Many of us spend a considerable amount of time thinking about food – whether it’s deciding what’s for dinner or how healthy something is for our family. Given that I work on food sustainability and am married to a chef, I spend an even more extreme amount of time thinking about food.

Last week, the Wall Street Journal hosted the first annual Global Food Forum in New York City – more proof that food and agricultural issues are increasingly on the radar screens of many executives, including those from Walmart, Campbell’s Soup, Panera, Perdue, Monsanto and many more.

I was eager to attend the event and hear the discussions among some of the most powerful food companies out there. They covered many topics including food safety, “clean” labels, biotechnology, antibiotic use and the humane treatment of animals.

All important stuff – but given the prestige of the event, I’d like to bring up the elephant in the room (or more accurately the elephant not in the room): sustainability. The environmental impacts of agriculture were barely touched upon, and considering the corporate heavyweights who were in the room, this was a missed opportunity on a massive scale. Read More »

Posted in Uncategorized / Also tagged agricultural sustainability, climate change, conservation, deforestation, drought, environmental defense fund, farmers, fertilizer, food production, Land O'Lakes, midwest row crop collaborative, supply chain, SUSTAIN, sustainability, water quality | Comments are closed

Farmers are helping to heal the Chesapeake Bay, but they can’t do it alone

By Callie Eideberg / Bio / Published: September 22, 2016

Callie Eideberg, EDF’s new senior policy manager for sustainable agriculture.

We often hear about the deep-rooted water quality challenges in the Chesapeake Bay, and how not enough progress is being made. While agriculture, urban/suburban runoff, vehicle emissions, and other sources share responsibility for the bay’s poor health, all too often farmers shoulder most of the blame.

Earlier this month, USDA released the Chesapeake Bay Progress Report, which revealed that since 2009, federal investments helped area farmers implement nearly $1 billion worth of conservation practices on more than 3.5 million acres and install nearly 3,500 miles of riparian buffers that reduce nutrient runoff into waterways. Between 2006 and 2011, farmer efforts reduced sediment loss by 15.1 million tons per year.

This is encouraging news, and part of the reason the overall health of the bay is improving. Supporting farmers and their livelihoods is key to solving the watershed’s environmental challenges. As the report notes, “a thriving and sustainable agricultural sector is critical to restoring the bay.”

There is still a lot of work to do. Because a significant increase in public funding is unlikely, relying too heavily on federal investment in voluntary conservation programs is not a good pathway to fully heal the bay.

Here are two ways that agriculture can further accelerate improvements in the watershed. Read More »

Posted in Supply Chain / Also tagged Campbell Soup, Chesapeake Bay, conservation, ecosystems, farm bill, farmers, farming, fertilizer, Kellogg, Land O'Lakes, NRCS, nutrient loading, Partnerships, Smithfield, sustainable agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Unilever, USDA, Walmart, water quality | Read 1 Response