The term “Sustainability” as it relates to agriculture is in a transition. The term is taking on a new and broader
meaning as the term is applied to both conventional and traditionally defined sustainable
agricultural approaches. This blog will focus on a couple of trends related to “sustainable”
agriculture and start a discussion about the role of UNL Extension in future
education on this topic.
The term “sustainability” is increasingly being applied to all forms of
agriculture.
The vast array of writings addressing the challenges of feeding a world
with 9 billion people asks difficult questions about our ability to feed a
world with a limited natural resource base. The Chicago Council on Global
Affairs (co-chaired by Catherine Bertini, former executive director for the UN
World Food Program, and Dan Glickman, former Secretary for USDA) discusses this
challenge in “Advancing Global Food Security:
The Power of Science, Trade, and Business” (http://www.thechicagocouncil.org/files/About_Us/Press_Releases/FY13_Releases/2013_Symposium_Report_Global_Food_Security.aspx). The report recommends the need to forge a new
science targeting “Sustainable Intensification” of agriculture which would
create agricultural systems that utilizes modern scientific strategies to
produce foods measured by their ability to 1) improve nutritional qualities, 2)
efficiently use land and other inputs, 3) improve human health, 4) adapt to
climate change, 5) reduce environmental impact, and 6) reduce food waste.
The 2013 Commodity Classic gathering of the leadership for the major
crop commodity associations focused on theme of Sustainability. The presidents of Corn, Soybeans,
Wheat and Grain Sorghum national associations all touted the importance of
their industry engaging in a discussion of sustainability and defining systems
and practices to improve sustainability. Since then the United Soybean Board
has announced the “U.S. Soybean Sustainability Assurance Protocol” which
establishes the processes and practices for the U.S. soy industry to ensure
international customers of U. S. farmers’ sustainable soybean production (see http://www.unitedsoybean.org/media-center/releases/u-s-soy-organizations-demonstrate-commitment-to-sustainability-with-assurance-protocol/
for more information).
Field to Market (http://www.fieldtomarket.org/),
a coalition of commodity groups, industry supply chain businesses, and
environmental NGOs, has published a collaboratively developed tool to measure sustainability for major U.S.
commodity crops. The coalitions “Fieldprint
Calculator” is designed to measure sustainability using six indicators (five
shown in Figure below plus a new water quality indicator). Randy Pryor and a
group of about 20 corn producers participated in a pilot of this tool 3 years
ago.
For better copy of graphic, refer to page 11 of Summary Report in "Field to Market
National Report" (http://www.fieldtomarket.org/news/2013/238/).
So what is UNL Extension’s role in this effort to apply “Sustainability”
to commercial agriculture? Here are a
few thoughts to which I hope others will add their own:
- Should Extension faculty invest professional development time in understanding methods being used to define and measure sustainability of agricultural systems? The Fieldprint Calculator might be one method worth gaining familiarity.
- Would Extension educators be willing to identify 10 of their top crop farmers to use the Fieldprint Calculator on one field and share that information among the group of 10. What might be learned of 10 educators each with 10 crop producers gatherer this data in 2014?
- Should we engage these same industry leaders in some challenging discussions around topics such as 1) the value gained from this exercise; 2) what carrots will be needed to engage their peers; 3) how is this exercise viewed in relation to the future of their industry?
- As we discuss the issue of “Feeding a World with 9 Billion People”, is a key role for UNL Extension to introduce Nebraska agricultural producers to the concept of “sustainability intensification” of agricultural systems?
So how would you propose including sustainability in future UNL
Extension programs targeting food systems?
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