An alliance of agricultural groups and companies has put together a report to help people understand sustainability. Yes, that word that everyone seems to have a different definition for.
The report released today by the Keystone Alliance, provides a definition of economic and environmental sustainability focusing on “meeting the needs of the present while improving the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” The Environmental Resource Indicators report was released at the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting by Field to Market, the Keystone Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture.
I interviewed two people today for a release the organization sent out via our AgNewsWire.AgWired.com. Sarah Stokes Alexander is Director of Sustainability Programs, Keystone Center and Project Director, Field To Market Initiative. She describes the organization.
You can listen to my interview with Sarah here: keystone-alexander.mp3
Marty Matlock is the area Director of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Sustainability, University of Arkansas. He talks about the report and trends they found.
You can listen to my interview with Marty here: keystone-matlock.mp3
The Colorado-based Keystone Center examined five resource indicators: land use, soil loss, irrigation water use, net carbon emissions and energy use.
Corn growers in particular posted impressive gains, boosting per-acre productivity by 41 percent while reducing per-bushel land use by 37 percent, per-bushel soil losses by nearly 70 percent, and water use an average of 27 percent per bushel. Energy use dropped an estimated 3 percent per acre and 37 percent per bushel, with greenhouse gas emissions down 8 percent per acre and 30 percent per bushel.
Field to Market members include: American Farm Bureau Federation; American Soybean Association; Bayer CropScience; Bunge; Cargill, Incorporated; ConAgra Foods; Conservation International; Cotton Incorporated; DuPont; Fleishman-Hillard; General Mills; Grocery Manufacturers Association; John Deere; Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences; Mars, Incorporated; Monsanto Company; National Association of Conservation Districts; National Association of Wheat Growers; National Corn Growers Association; National Cotton Council of America; National Potato Council; Syngenta; The Coca-Cola Company; The Fertilizer Institute; Kellogg Company; The Nature Conservancy; United Soybean Board; and World Wildlife Fund.