WHY Farm Green?

Why Farm Green?Integration of Environmental Responsibility into Industrialized Agriculture.

Presented by Mike Schaefer, Kelsey Mehl, Justin Suhre, and Amber HendricksToday we will DiscussThe Nature of Modern Conventional FarmingEffects of Modern Conventional FarmingGreen Technologies and TechniquesSocial Political Aspects of the Green Movement in AgricultureDo we know our food? YesteryearToday

Modern day farmingConservation tillageFocused production

A Growing Population

http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/sixbillion/sixbilpart1.pdfConventional Farming circa 1900Moldboard plowsDiversified production

Agricultural Responses to Social Concerns

Organic and Low external input farmingWidespread herbicide use

Glyphosate-resistant waterhemp

Hypoxic zone in Gulf of MexicoThe FutureCorporate or Traditional?

How Does Conventional Agriculture Affect the Environment?

TillageTilling makes soil more susceptible to wind erosionDust Bowl in the 1930s40 million ha of land was destroyed40 million ha of land was severely damagedReduction of organic matterSoil fertility is lostMachinery passing over the soil degrades soil structure

MonocultureVulnerable to pests and diseasesNeed to rely on chemicals to prevent devastation from pests and pathogens.

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/06/0619_agriculture_stocks/image/monsanto0.jpgIrrigation16% of agricultural land is irrigated40% of our crops come from that 16%About 20% of water used for irrigation come from undergroundUnfortunately, were using more water than the natural cycle can replaceRunoffCauses major problems downstream

RunoffPhosphorousCauses algae bloomsHypoxiaNitrogenHypoxiaSerious health hazards, especially for young children.

http://smithsonianscience.org/2009/08/bottom-dwelling-creatures-in-the-chesapeake-bay-need-more-oxygen-study-finds/RunoffAgricultural runoff can also have sedimentsBlocks sunlight in waterImpacts the vision of predators in waterIn SE Asia, agricultural runoff has been associated with reducing the success rate of fertilization in corals.PesticidesKills both the pest and the natural predator of the pestPests can come back stronger than before because there is not natural predators keeping them at bayResistant PestsReduce the number of pollinators in an area

PesticidesOrganic pesticides can also be harmful to humansCopper SulfateContains leadCauses liver damageCorrosiveEven with an increase of pesticides, total crop loss to pests remain the same

HerbicidesCould be potentially harmful to humansRunoffOne study showed that a certain herbicide affected the hormone levels in all sorts of animals.Can reduce the overall biodiversity in an area

http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/cleansweep-pesticides/pages/p2andbmp.htmFertilizersOnly 30-50% of nitrogen fertilizer and 45% of phosphorus is actually taken up by cropsIncrease in nitrogen oxides can lead to human health hazardsCan cause damage far away from the originRepeated application of inorganic pesticide have been found to suppress some soil enzymes in nutrient cycles

FertilizersIncrease manure use had lead to eutrophication of lakes and waterways.Also increase in volatile ammonia harms woodland creatures

http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/01590/pollution/eutrophication.html

http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/mangroves.htm

FertilizerImproper manure composting poses human health hazardsBacterial pathogens such as E. coli could come in contact with food and potable water sourcesMeat ProductionIn the past 40 years, global meat production has increased over 60%Confined animal feeding operations place animals at high densityThis leads to higher disease incidence and surface water pollution due to manure runoffHigher disease incidence also leads to more antibiotics in animals

Meat ProductionLarge amount of water neededUsed to drain animal wastes4902 liters of water are needed per 100 calories of beef, compared to the 89 liters of water to produce 500 calories of potatoes.

Green TechsDefining Green TechAlternative farming practicesTechnologiesGPSVariable Rate TechnologyAutosteerTechniquesLow-external-inputCover cropsMinimal/no tillage

Green TechGlobal Positioning System (GPS)Position determined by satellites and receiverReal time kinematic (RTK) most commonly used in agricultureCreate data mapsIntegrated with the use of other technologies

GPS Solving Problems

Eutrophication

Variable Rate TechnologyApplying fertilizers and pesticides at variable rates throughout fieldAllows for uniform rate throughout field after application or focusing on high return sitesUsed with soil maps and satellite imagesReduction in:Excess applicationFossil fuelsHarmful chemicalsNitrogen Application

Auto-steerAB lines and implement widthPrevents overlap or missed passesAllows operator to pay closer attention to implementReduces fossil fuel use and cost

Planting and HarvestTracks seeding rates throughout fieldMonitors yieldsMaps created on yield monitorUploaded for record keepingUsed for future applications and management

Low-External-Input SystemsKey componentsOrganic soil amendmentsCrop diversificationMatching or exceeding conventional systemYieldWeed suppressionProfit characteristics

Minimum/No TillageIncreased crop yieldReduced labor and equipment costsEnvironmental benefitsSoil and water qualityBiodiversityReduced greenhouse emissions

Cover CropsCrop planted between period of regular crop productionBenefitsErosion controlOrganic matter and improved soil tilthFixation of atmospheric nitrogenRecycling unused nutrientsBeneficial organismsPartial weed controlPossible feed sourceMoving Away From ConventionalNeed alternatives to conventional farmingTechnologies and TechniquesPush towards sustainabilityInitial costs pay for themselves over timeEnvironmentally friendly

What are the social & political aspects of the Green movement in Agriculture?Move to Mechanization/TechnologyTraditional farming previous to the 1800s was characterized by animal traction along with diversified farming operations using symbiotic relationshipsIn the 1900s, organizations like the USDA, Land Grant Universities, Agricultural Experiment Stations, and Cooperative Extension Services formed a system in which agricultural innovations developed through research could be diffused into the public.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6962167.stm

Government Response to Effects of Agricultural Innovationhttp://www.ipminstitute.org/school_ipm_2015.htmhttp://ericjuliusrcarillo.blogspot.com/2010/06/barley-studies-by-joan-marie-conway-phd.htmlhttp://www.kennuncorked.com/list_trade_orgs.htmlhttp://dnr.louisiana.gov/sec/execdiv/techasmt/about_us/archive_calendar_2009.htm

Governmental Subsidies The US currently pays around $20 billion a year in crop subsidies.Illinois is one of the top states in money received through crop subsidies.Corn is the top crop for subsidy payment.Energy Policy Act of 2005- US corn ethanol subsidies are between $5.3billion and $7billion a year.

Governmental Subsidies

Social and Cultural ForcesIt should be clear that 3million farmers have gone out of business for economic reasons, not environmental ones.Law of the minimum attitudes.Practices of conventional agriculture are rooted in tradition and community culture.

Decision MakingBenefits, costs, programs offered, government involvement, markets, social beliefs and backgrounds all have weight in a farmers decision of practices. If the goal is to get more farmers to choose green farming techniques we need address all of these factors. Farming GreenThe nature of modern farming is very complex and sustainability needs to be embraced not only in environmental terms, but also social and economical terms. It is with these thoughts that agriculture and society must make its decisions for continued growth in the future.