Why Farm Green?

1. Why Farm Green? Integration of Environmental Responsibility into Industrialized Agriculture. Presented by Mike Schaefer, Kelsey Mehl, Justin Suhre, and Amber Hendricks

2. Today we will Discuss… The Nature of Modern Conventional Farming Effects of Modern Conventional Farming Green Technologies and Techniques Social Political Aspects of the Green Movement in Agriculture

3. Do we know our food? Yesteryear Today

4. Modern day farming • Conservation tillage • Focused production

5. A Growing Population http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/sixbillion/sixbilpart1.pdf

6. Conventional Farming circa 1900 • Moldboard plows • Diversified production

7. Agricultural Responses to Social Concerns Organic and Low external input farming

8. Widespread herbicide use Hypoxic zone in Gulf of Mexico Glyphosate-resistant waterhemp

9. The Future…Corporate or “Traditional”?

10. How Does Conventional Agriculture Affect the Environment?

11. Tillage • Tilling makes soil more susceptible to wind erosion • Dust Bowl in the 1930s • 40 million ha of land was destroyed • 40 million ha of land was severely damaged • Reduction of organic matter • Soil fertility is lost • Machinery passing over the soil degrades soil structure

12. Monoculture • Vulnerable to pests and diseases • Need to rely on chemicals to prevent devastation from pests and pathogens. http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/06/0619_agriculture_stocks/image/monsanto0.jpg

13. Irrigation • 16% of agricultural land is irrigated • 40% of our crops come from that 16% • About 20% of water used for irrigation come from underground • Unfortunately, we’re using more water than the natural cycle can replace • Runoff • Causes major problems downstream

14. Runoff • Phosphorous • Causes algae blooms • Hypoxia • Nitrogen • Hypoxia • Serious health hazards, especially for young children. http://smithsonianscience.org/2009/08/bottom-dwelling-creatures-in-the-chesapeake-bay-need-more-oxygen-study-finds/

15. Runoff • Agricultural runoff can also have sediments • Blocks sunlight in water • Impacts the vision of predators in water • In SE Asia, agricultural runoff has been associated with reducing the success rate of fertilization in corals.

16. Pesticides • Kills both the pest and the natural predator of the pest • Pests can come back stronger than before because there is not natural predators keeping them at bay • Resistant Pests • Reduce the number of pollinators in an area

17. Pesticides • Organic pesticides can also be harmful to humans • Copper Sulfate • Contains lead • Causes liver damage • Corrosive • Even with an increase of pesticides, total crop loss to pests remain the same

18. Herbicides • Could be potentially harmful to humans • Runoff • One 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.htm

19. Fertilizers • Only 30-50% of nitrogen fertilizer and 45% of phosphorus is actually taken up by crops • Increase in nitrogen oxides can lead to human health hazards • Can cause damage far away from the origin • Repeated application of inorganic pesticide have been found to suppress some soil enzymes in nutrient cycles

20. Fertilizers • Increase 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

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

22. Fertilizer • Improper manure composting poses human health hazards • Bacterial pathogens such as E. coli could come in contact with food and potable water sources

23. Meat Production • In the past 40 years, global meat production has increased over 60% • Confined animal feeding operations place animals at high density • This leads to higher disease incidence and surface water pollution due to manure runoff • Higher disease incidence also leads to more antibiotics in animals

24. Meat Production • Large amount of water needed • Used to drain animal wastes • 4902 liters of water are needed per 100 calories of beef, compared to the 89 liters of water to produce 500 calories of potatoes.

26. “Green” Techs • Defining “Green” Tech • Alternative farming practices • Technologies • GPS • Variable Rate Technology • Autosteer • Techniques • Low-external-input • Cover crops • Minimal/no tillage Green Tech

27. Global Positioning System (GPS) • Position determined by satellites and receiver • Real time kinematic (RTK) most commonly used in agriculture • Create data maps • Integrated with the use of other technologies

28. GPS Solving Problems

29. Eutrophication

30. Variable Rate Technology • Applying fertilizers and pesticides at variable rates throughout field • Allows for uniform rate throughout field after application or focusing on high return sites • Used with soil maps and satellite images • Reduction in: • Excess application • Fossil fuels • Harmful chemicals

31. Nitrogen Application

32. Auto-steer • AB lines and implement width • Prevents overlap or missed passes • Allows operator to pay closer attention to implement • Reduces fossil fuel use and cost

33. Planting and Harvest • Tracks seeding rates throughout field • Monitors yields • Maps created on yield monitor • Uploaded for record keeping • Used for future applications and management

34. Low-External-Input Systems • Key components • Organic soil amendments • Crop diversification • Matching or exceeding conventional system • Yield • Weed suppression • Profit characteristics

35. Minimum/No Tillage • Increased crop yield • Reduced labor and equipment costs • Environmental benefits • Soil and water quality • Biodiversity • Reduced greenhouse emissions

36. Cover Crops • Crop planted between period of regular crop production • Benefits • Erosion control • Organic matter and improved soil tilth • Fixation of atmospheric nitrogen • Recycling unused nutrients • Beneficial organisms • Partial weed control • Possible feed source

37. Moving Away From Conventional • Need alternatives to conventional farming • Technologies and Techniques • Push towards sustainability • Initial costs pay for themselves over time • Environmentally friendly

38. What are the social & political aspects of the Green movement in Agriculture?

39. Move to Mechanization/Technology • Traditional farming previous to the 1800’s was characterized by animal traction along with diversified farming operations using symbiotic relationships • In 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

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

41. 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.

42. Governmental Subsidies

43. Social and Cultural Forces • It 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.

44. Decision Making Benefits, 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.

45. Farming Green… The 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.