By Kristina Kalolo, FALPC Intern
Recently the Union of Concerned Scientists released a report that puts forth a vision for U.S. agriculture that aligns with more sustainable practices in farming, as opposed to the industrial model that has been practiced over the past several decades.
Defining the “industrial” agriculture system as collaboration between science and business to generate maximum production in the years following World War II, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) calls for an alternative paradigm. Citing “industrial” agriculture’s damage to the environment, wildlife, and rural communities, UCS instead promotes an agro-ecological agriculture model. This model encourages “’healthy farms,’ because they contribute to the health and well-being of people, economies, and the land and natural resources” (1).
These “healthy farms” must incorporate several goals:
- Productivity – Ensure food supply for the U.S. and global population.
- Economics – Contribute to rural economies, fair working conditions and wages, and quality food for people at all income levels.
- Environment – Utilize resources in sustainable manner that promotes recycling and minimizes use of chemicals.
- Multifunctional – Policy support and investment on environmental, social, and productive needs.
- Regenerative – Improve soil fertility, biodiversity, and recycle essential nutrients.
- Biodiverse – Incorporate wider variety of crops, livestock, and usage of land.
- Interconnected – Engage and utilize uncultivated areas on and near farms.
In the attempt to achieve these goals, the UCS recommends four main strategies. First, take a landscape approach that takes into account surrounding uncultivated land. This also encourages working collaboratively with neighboring farmers to conserve resources. High crop prices and land values create barriers to this approach because it incentives intense cultivation instead.
Second, grow and rotate more crops beyond corn and soybeans, particularly wheat, oats, and other legumes. Planting multi-year, multi-crop rotations produce high yields, require fewer pesticides, and improves soil fertility. The need to diversify is not prioritized as food and biofuel industries continually find new uses for corn and soybeans.
Third, reintegrate livestock and crops to reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and reduce need for antibiotics in Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) livestock. The domination of the meat industry by a handful of corporations often overrides the importance of local processing options and suggestions of foraging and pasture options.
Fourth, use more cover crops such as rye, clover, and hairy vetch to hold soil nutrients, thereby reducing pollution and the need for chemical fertilizers. Cover crops reduce ground water pollution from nitrogen by 40 to 70 percent. Due to its high up-front investment and time constraints between cash crops, farmers are often reluctant to put in the money and labor.
Finally, the UCS calls upon government policies to offer greater financial incentives for farmers to incorporate conservation measures, expand outreach and technical assistance, and increase publicly funded research on sustainable farming.
