Sustainable Agriculture and Energy: Connecting the Dots

1. Sustainable Agriculture and Energy: Connecting the Dots Mike Morris National Center for Appropriate Technology Southern SARE PDP Coordinator Training Lexington, Kentucky August 19, 2008

2. About the National Center for Appropriate Technology (www.ncat.org) • National nonprofit organization headquartered in Butte, Montana, regional offices in AR, CA, IA, LA, PA. • Programs: sustainable agriculture and sustainable energy. • 60 employees: 20 ag specialists, 7 energy engineers, about a dozen writers, web and database designers. • Hands-on experience with all kinds of renewable energy technologies and energy conservation programs. • Since 1987 NCAT has run ATTRA: the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.

3. ATTRA provides free research, >300 free publications National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service • Funded by USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service. • www.attra.org or toll-free 800-346-9140

4. New area in the ATTRA website: www.attra.org/energy

5. A new search tool: www.attra.org/farmenergysearchtool

6. Other highlights: • New energy-related ATTRA publications. • Building ATTRA staff capacity to handle energy-related questions. • Workshops for producers in all parts of the country. • Small grant program for producers in Montana: oilseeds, small-scale biodiesel production. • Farm energy audits and energy studies to build capacity of land-based agricultural organizations. • Research (funded by USDA Risk Management Agency) on farm energy audits and web-based farm energy calculators.

7. Assumptions • Energy-related changes ahead for agriculture. • Great need for energy-related technical assistance. • Much of this assistance will need to be local, grassroots. World population growth End of cheap fossil fuels Climate change Bioenergy opportunities Emerging carbon markets Wind, solar, other renewable energy opportunities Energy supply disruptions? Food vs. fuel New USDA programs

8. Challenge: Deliver locally-based energy information to rural America: • Fully including goals and values of sustainability • Building on existing infrastructure and networks DOE? Land Grant universities? SARE? Environmental orgs? ATTRA? NRCS? State energy agencies? EPA? Agricultural trade groups? ? Sustainable ag advocacy groups? Local Extension offices? Utilities? Local gov’t? New regional partnerships? For-profit companies (e.g equipment dealers)? The Internet?

9. food system 10% - 17% agricultural production 1% - 3% US food system: 10-17% of energy consumption. Treat all energy stats with caution. Farmers aren’t to blame. Total US energy consumption Better farming practices will do little to reduce US energy usage. Source: John Hendrickson, 1996. Energy Use in the U.S. Food System: a Summary of Existing Research and Analysis. Madison, WI: Univ. of Wisconsin, Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems.

10. Agricultural Production 21% Home Refrigeration & Preparation 31% Transportation 14% Packaging 7% Processing 16% Food Retail 4% Restaurants 7% Energy usage in the US food system (Btu): mostly for marketing and food preparation. “Food miles” are important but over-emphasized? Source: M.C. Heller, G.A. Keoleian. Assessing the sustainability of the US food system: a life cycle perspective, Agricultural Systems, 76, (2003) 1007-1041.

11. US food expenditures: mostly for marketing too. Source: USDA National Commission on Small Farms, Jan. 1998

12. Electricity (Non-Irrigation) 18% Fertilizer Production 29% Liquid Petroleum Gas 5% Natural Gas (Non-Irrigation) 1% Herbicide/ Pesticide Production 6% Gasoline 9% Diesel Fuel (Non-Irrigation) 25% Irrigation 7% How energy is used in US agriculture (Btu). Note the importance of fertilizer and other “indirect” energy inputs. Source: John Miranowski, Energy Consumption in US Agriculture. In Agriculture as a Producer and Consumer of Energy, CABI Publishing, 2005.

13. US agriculture and greenhouse gases • Agriculture releases about 8% of US greenhouse gases (weighted for impact on global warming). • US agriculture releases about 80% of nitrous oxide and 30% of methane. • Generally, farms have a limited ability to reduce US energy consumption or greenhouse gas emissions, and a much greater potential to sequester carbon and generate renewable energy. Source: Keith Paustian et al, “Agriculture’s Role in Greenhouse Gas Mitigation.” Pew Center on Global Climate Change, 2006.

14. 6.0 5.0 4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 Energy used per unit of farm output (1996 = 1.0) Total # US farms (millions) The good news: US farms have doubled their energy efficiency since the 1970s. (Through diesel engines, efficient tillage practices, crop-drying, irrigation, etc.) The bad news: most of these highly efficient farms went broke. Source: USDA Economic Research Service

15. Energy cost: ~ 15% of farm production expenses overall. For most crops and regions, energy is a modest fraction of production costs. Crop yield and quality drive decisions. Source: John Miranowski, Energy Consumption in US Agriculture. In Agriculture as a Producer and Consumer of Energy, CABI Publishing, 2005.

16. Direct energy cost per dollar of output varies by crop. Source: John Miranowski, Energy Consumption in US Agriculture. In Agriculture as a Producer and Consumer of Energy, CABI Publishing, 2005.

17. Direct energy cost per dollar of output varies by region. Source: National Agricultural Statistics Service (2003).

18. Among livestock operations, poultry farms are especially vulnerable. Source: National Agricultural Statistics Service (2003).

19. Does organic farming use less energy? • Sometimes yes. Maybe often. We don’t know.‡ • The Final Rule of the National Organic Program includes no restrictions on energy usage. ‡Source: David Granatstein, “Does Organic Farming Use Less Energy?”(2008). May be downloaded from http://www.aceee.org/conf/08ag/agenda.htm.

20. Do local food systems use less energy? • Sometimes yes. Maybe often. We don’t know.‡ • Counterexamples are being used to discredit the sustainable agriculture movement. • There are real economies of scale in industrial agriculture. ‡Rich Pirog et al, Food, Fuel, and Freeways (2001). May be downloaded from http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/pubs/staff/ppp/index.htm

21. Sustainable agriculture and energy: a few suggestions • DON’T lean too heavily on the idea that there is a “farm energy crisis.” • DON’T perpetuate the myth that efficiency is the key to farm prosperity. • DON’T be surprised to find lukewarm reactions from producers to energy efficiency campaigns. • DON’T over-sell sustainable agriculture (including organic farming and local food systems) as a quick fix for energy or climate problems. • DON’T be negative and obstructionist. As advocates for sustainability, we must publicly support conservation and renewable energy.

22. Suggestions (continued) • DO take a long-term perspective: champion farming practices that can be sustained indefinitely, even if fossil fuels become scarce or expensive. • DO use this “teachable moment” to promote reduced nitrogen fertilizer usage and other sustainable practices. • DO start viewing energy and fossil fuels as no less important than soil or water to sustainability. • Do support SARE’s energy-related efforts. • DO support the Energy Title of the Farm Bill (especially REAP).

23. Key Points about REAP • Section 9006 Program (2002 Farm Bill) is now REAP, the Rural Energy for America Program. • USDA grant and loan program: Install renewable energy systems or make energy efficiency improvements. • All rural small businesses are eligible – not just farms. • Funding has more than doubled from $115 million (2002) to $225 million (2008). • Grants – up to 25% of eligible project costs • Guaranteed loans – up to 50% of eligible project costs.

24. Successful Proposals to 9006/REAP • Take an interest in REAP in your state. (Info at www.farmenergy.org.) • Get to know your state contact person (USDA Rural Development).

25. Energy Audits and REAP • Energy audit required for large energy efficiency projects (total project cost > $200,000). • Finding a qualified person who will do an energy audit is challenging (to say the least) in most rural areas. • Perfectly illustrates the need for locally-based technical assistance. • New funding in REAP for energy audits on farms.

26. Energy Training for Agriculture Professionals in the Southern SARE Region • Training 25-30 Agricultural Energy Specialists in Year 1. • Eligible: Extension agents, field personnel from any USDA agency. • 3-day intensive training (expenses paid) at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (Goldsboro, NC) in September/October 2009. • Participants will commit to organizing local or regional training events. • We envision a growing locally-based network of people who stay in touch for mutual support.

27. Center for Environmental Farming Systems • A joint effort of NC State, NC A&T State, and the NC Dept of Agriculture. • Located on the 2,200 acre Cherry Research Farm. One of the nation’s largest centers for the study of environmentally sustainable farming practices. • Energy is one of five strategic initiatives identified by the CEFS board. • With collaboration from NCAT, CEFS held the second annual Fueling the Farm workshop in July. • In 2007, NCAT engineers completed an energy audit of Cherry Research Farm. CEFS has already implemented many of the 21 energy-saving recommendations.

28. Congratulations, you are on our advisory committee. • Expectations: • Promote the project within your state/region • Recruit workshop participants and assist in selection for your state • Available for phone questions, e-mail surveys, etc. • Always invited and welcome to join steering committee calls.

29. Please consider serving on our steering committee: • Expectations: • Promote the project in your state/region. • Recruit workshop participants and assist in selection for your state. • Provide information about your state and region’s needs and concerns. • Participate in monthly conference calls. • Suggest and recruit speakers. • Help define the workshop agenda/curriculum. • Review applications, workshop materials (subcommittees).

30. THANK YOU! For more information: NCAT: www.ncat.org or 1-800-ASK-NCAT mikem@ncat.org ATTRA: www.attra.org or 1-800-346-9140 Farm Energy resources: www.attra.org/energy