Growing Returns

Selected tag(s): USDA

Why the sustainable agriculture glass is half full

By Suzy Friedman / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: December 8, 2015

Suzy Friedman, Director of Agricultural Sustainability at EDF

I’ve been working to promote and implement sustainable agriculture practices for nearly 15 years. But the last two years have seen more action and momentum in this space than in all of the previous 13 years combined – and I’m more enthusiastic than ever.

Let me be clear – we still have a long way to go. As a USDA report released at the Paris climate talks noted, warming temperatures pose a significant threat to agriculture and food security across the globe. And, despite technological advancements, the multimillion-dollar question of how we’re going to measure and quantify sustainable agriculture remains.

But a new progress report from the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), also released last week in Paris, reaffirms my optimism and excitement. We’re headed in the right direction, and sustainable agriculture is on its way to becoming the norm. Here’s why. Read More »

Posted in Climate Resilience, Supply Chain / Also tagged agriculture, Campbell's, Climate, climate change, conservation, ecosystems, farmers, farms, fertilizer, food, food production, food security, General Mills, GHG mitigation, precision agriculture, sustainable agriculture, Unilever | Comments are closed

New climate change report is an urgent call to action for agriculture

By Rebecca Shaw / Bio / Published: December 2, 2015

Credit: Flickr user Bruno Monginoux

The USDA today released a new scientific assessment at the United Nations negotiations in Paris that found climate change will pose a significant threat to food security and to farmers.

National Public Radio’s Dan Charles said it best in his latest story:

“Chances are, you’ve picked up some chatter about the new global talks on climate change. If you can’t quite see how it matters to you, personally, you might want to take a peek inside your pantry. Or your candy jar. Because it might just affect your access to everything from cheese to chocolate.”

Today’s report represents an urgent call to action for food companies, policymakers and agribusinesses to collaborate in reducing emissions from food production and implementing farming practices that increase resilience.

We have the tools at our disposal to make sustainable agriculture a reality. But to implement these measures at scale, we need increased investment from the private sector and collaboration across the agricultural supply chain. We need to go beyond commitments and towards on-the-ground support for farmers. Read More »

Posted in Climate Resilience, Supply Chain / Also tagged agriculture, Carbon Offsets, climate change, conservation, COP 21, ecosystems, farmers, fertilizer, food production, food safety, food security, food system, food waste, GHG mitigation, nitrogen, sustainable, sustainable agriculture | Comments are closed

USDA invests $350 million to protect farmlands, grasslands and wetlands

By Eric Holst / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: November 19, 2015

America’s agricultural lands are getting another significant boost from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), as Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the availability of $350 million to help landowners protect and restore key farmlands, grasslands and wetlands across the nation.

The funding, provided through the 2014 Farm Bill’s Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), rewards farmers and ranchers for voluntary efforts to protect critical water resources and wildlife habitat from future development.

ACEP is a program that consolidates three former programs – the Wetlands Reserve Program, Grassland Reserve Program and Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program – into one voluntary program that provides technical and financial assistance to help landowners protect our nation’s vital farmlands, grasslands and wetlands.

The program is a shining example of USDA’s steadfast commitment to preserving the long-term viability and health of our agricultural landscapes.

How does it work? Read More »

Posted in Wildlife Protection / Also tagged ACEP, agricultural conservation easement program, ecosystems, farm bill, farmland, grassland, NRCS, sage grouse, sustainable agriculture, tom vilsack, western water, wetlands | Comments are closed

Why almond lovers can breathe easy again

By Sara Kroopf / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: October 20, 2015

It’s been a tough year for the almond. Vilified and beaten down, the nut has come to symbolize the California drought. While the reasons for and solutions to the drought are complicated and nuanced, the almond’s reputation has nonetheless suffered.

Meanwhile, farmers across the board are under increasing pressure – from regulatory requirements and increasing consumer demand for transparency – to modify their fertilizer application practices and thereby reduce nitrogen losses to the air and water.

Fortunately, there’s good reason for the almond to cheer up – a new Specialty Crop Block Grant (SCBG) from the California Department of Food & Agriculture will support the state’s almond growers in their ongoing efforts to make nut production more sustainable, without sacrificing yields. Read More »

Posted in Carbon Market, Climate Resilience / Also tagged agriculture, almond board of california, almonds, california, California Air Resources Board, drought, farmers, fertilizer, food production, food security, nut, Partnerships, pistachios, soil health, sustainability, sustainable agriculture, UC Davis, walnuts, water use, western water | Read 1 Response

How to overcome big data’s barriers

By Robert Parkhurst / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: October 7, 2015

Credit: Flickr user Marcos Gasparutti

As I wrote earlier this week, data analytics technology has the potential to dramatically change the way we produce food, making it more abundant and sustainable. But a number of obstacles remain.

Here’s how we can address some of the biggest challenges and hasten ag’s big data revolution for the benefit of people and the planet.

1. Protecting privacy

Many growers have told me they are willing to share data – if they know exactly where it’s going and how it will be used, and if they can benefit from the data analysis that occurs. However, big concerns remain about data being used for regulatory compliance purposes, given to rival farmers, or shared with seed and fertilizer companies that would gain a competitive advantage. Read More »

Posted in Carbon Market / Also tagged agriculture, big data, ecosystems, farmers, food production, food security, soil health, sustainability, sustainable agriculture, technology, United Suppliers | Comments are closed

Ag’s big data explosion can benefit the environment too

By Robert Parkhurst / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: October 5, 2015

Credit: United Soybean Board

Almost daily, I see new stories on how agribusinesses, entrepreneurs, and traditional technology companies are making big investments in precision agriculture tools and digital platforms that collect data from farms.

These data include information such as fertilizer rate, prescription accuracy, yield by square foot, seed type, and soil type. When analyzed at a large scale, the data can determine best practices for farm operations to maximize yield and minimize input costs.

This is an exciting trend, with big and small companies alike getting into the data game, and the tools used to collect this data becoming ubiquitous. And although these technologies weren’t necessarily started with sustainability in mind, they have tremendous potential to benefit the environment. Read More »

Posted in Carbon Market, Climate Resilience / Also tagged agriculture, air pollution, big data, Climate Corporation, DuPont, ecosystems, environment, farmers, farming, GHG mitigation, Monsanto, nutrient efficiency, precision agriculture, software, sustainability, sustainable agriculture, technology, Trimble Ag, water pollution | Read 1 Response

Recovery of New England rabbit demonstrates importance of private lands in conservation

By Eric Holst / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: September 16, 2015

Credit: Brian Tefft, Principal Wildlife Biologist at Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Saturday marked a new chapter in a years-long rabbit’s tale.

Of course I’m talking about the New England cottontail, which, until this week, was a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act.

Thanks to the work of private landowners, conservation groups, tribes, and state and government agencies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided to remove this critter from the candidate list and declare that it’s well on the path to recovery.

A team effort

The growth of the New England cottontail population was a team effort, with important contributions from state wildlife departments, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and conservation organizations.

But the most important contribution came from farmers and forestland owners who committed to managing the specialized habitat of the New England cottontail. Read More »

Posted in Habitat Exchange, Wildlife Protection / Also tagged conservation, ecosystems, ESA, greater sage-grouse, habitat, Jason Weller, new england cottontail, NRCS, USFWS, wildlife | Comments are closed

Agricultural carbon markets get yet another boost

By Sara Kroopf / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: September 15, 2015

In the past three months, three new revenue opportunities have emerged for growers. In June, the first ever carbon offset protocol for crop-base agriculture in a cap-and-trade market was approved for U.S. rice growers by the California Air Resources Board (ARB). The “rice protocol” announcement was followed shortly after by approval of a voluntary grasslands protocol, which rewards farmers for avoiding the conversion of grasslands to cropland.

And now, USDA has demonstrated its interest in and support of another market-based approach for growers: increasing fertilizer use efficiency. Thanks to a new grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), EDF and partners will be helping almond and corn farmers reduce fertilizer runoff and nitrous oxide emissions, and earn greenhouse gas credits that can generate revenue.

Here’s what this project will entail: Read More »

Posted in Carbon Market, Climate Resilience, fertilizer, Partnerships, Supply Chain, sustainable agriculture / Also tagged agriculture, almond board of california, almonds, American Carbon Registry, California Air Resources Board, cap and trade, CIG grant, climate action reserve, conservation innovation grant, environmental defense fund, greenhouse gas emissions, nitrogen, NRCS, rice growers, UC Davis, United Suppliers | Comments are closed

USDA taps ranchers to continue stewarding sage-grouse habitat

By Eric Holst / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: August 27, 2015

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced a four-year strategy to invest more that $200 million in greater sage-grouse conservation efforts.

The strategy, known as Sage Grouse Initiative 2.0, will build on successful public and private conservation efforts to improve sage-grouse habitat by providing additional assistance for ranchers to make conservation improvements to their land.

It’s encouraging to see USDA remaining at the forefront of federal efforts to move sage-grouse protection forward. This funding is a huge boost for sage-grouse, but there are opportunities through emerging programs for impact industries to do even more to protect this iconic bird. Read More »

Posted in Habitat Exchange, Wildlife Protection / Also tagged ecosystems, greater sage-grouse, habitat exchange, sage grouse, sage grouse initiative, Secretary Vilsack, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Comments are closed

Strong market signal for sustainable grain

By Katie Anderson / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: August 24, 2015

Walmart, Smithfield Foods and USDA discuss sustainable agriculture in St. Louis.

The agricultural supply chain is shifting towards demanding more sustainably produced grains, according to some of the country’s biggest food companies and retailers.

Representatives from Walmart, Smithfield Foods, and USDA recently discussed the importance of and increased consumer demand for agricultural sustainability in front of 100 agricultural retailers in St Louis. They were there for a meeting convened by United Suppliers, Inc., with a primary focus of the company’s SUSTAIN™ platform.

Three messages were clear:

Demand for more sustainable crops is here to stay.
Growers’ connection with the consumers of their products is increasing.
Fertilizer optimization and soil health offer a business opportunity for growers, ag retailers, and food companies alike.

Posted in Supply Chain / Also tagged agriculture, Campbell Soup, Dr. Jerry Hatfield, fertilizer, Janelle Kearsley, Kraig Westerbeek, nitrogen, Smithfield Foods, soil health, St. Louis, SUSTAIN, sustainability, sustainable agriculture, United Suppliers, USDA-Agriculture Research Service, Walmart | Read 1 Response