Agriculture Presentation For Ltu
description
Transcript of Agriculture Presentation For Ltu
FUTURE OF FARMINGHow environmental management, regulations and activism impacts
farming
Alan HahnDragun Corporation
Environmental Challenges
Advances are being challenged Activists don’t like the modern farming practices Many want to return to “idyllic” vision of the past
Are the challenges valid? Are there good scientific reasons to abandon our
modern farming? Look beyond the headlines, be critical of
"claims” What are the environmental regulatory
challenges? Who should we listen to and what if we “get this
wrong”?
Future of Farming
AFO CAFO Factory Farm GMO Localvore Buy Local Meatless Monday Omnivore’s Dilemma Righteous Pork chop PETA Vegan
Opposition to Large Farms
Environmentalists are not scientists…express their ideas and concerns
Who are the Experts?
Animal/Agricultural Science Farmers Geologists Hydrogeologists Environmental/Agricultural Engineers Soil Chemists Agronomists Toxicologists Environmental Scientists Economists
Yes, Farming has changed
We don’t farm the way we used to…
Dust Bowl Disaster
Over grazing, lack of crop rotation, lack of cover crops…didn’t use science
But Using Science has Paid
According to the American Farm Bureau, one farmer in 1940 fed approximately 19
people. Today one farmer feeds 155 people
200 years ago, 90% of the population farmed
Today less than 2% of the population farms.
Agriculture has enjoyed years of steady gains in productivity
…the Pressures on Productivity continue
According to Neil Conklin, President of the Farm Foundation, “Doubling agricultural output to meet global demand by 2050
will require an annual average growth of at least 1.75 percent in total factor
productivity (TFP)”
Pressures on Productivity
According to the United Nations General Assembly, “Food production must double
by 2050 to meet the demand of the world’s growing population and
innovative strategies are needed to help combat hunger, which already affects
more than 1 billion people in the world…”
The population growth will continue to push farming towards greater productivty
…more productivity, more farms, larger farms (?)
Sustainability Challenges
How to produce more with less How to do so while minimizing the
environmental footprint
An EMS meeting the requirements of ISO 14001:2004 is a
management tool enabling an organization of any size or type to:
identify and control the environmental impact of its activities, products or services, and to
improve its environmental performance continually, and toimplement a systematic approach to setting environmental objectives and targets, to achieving these and to demonstrating that they have been achieved
Source www.iso.org
ISO 14001 EMS Standard
Beyond 14000 – there is a consumer push to be “green”
Large companies are paying attention to consumer demands
If their clients want them to be green – they will be green
Companies are “marketing green”
Farms too..Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance
Program
“The Michigan Agriculture Environmental AssuranceProgram (MAEAP) is a holistic approach to
environmental protection.”
…fact is green has pushed into our eating habits
Buy local, food miles, sustainable agriculture, etc…
Farming must now be “sustainable”
…and “environmentally friendly”
Triple Bottom Line: Environmental, Economic and Social
What is Sustainable?
Is it the former practices of farming? Is it the modern farming practices? Is it something else?
Research is demonstrating the environmental benefits of advances in farming
Productivity Increases
Beef/Animal 1977 = 603 lbs 2007 = 773 lbs
Beef to Market 1977 = 3045 animal days 2007 = 1940 animal days
In 1977 it took 5 animals to produce the same as 4 animals in 2007
(Capper, 2012)
Productivity Increases
1977 v 2007 = net reduced environmental footprint (Capper, 2012). 131% beef per animal 70 % of the animals 81 % of the feed 88 % of the water 67 % of the land 82 % of the manure 82 % of the methane 88 % of the nitrous oxide 84 % of the carbon footprint
Productivity Increases
“Go Natural” If all US beef was grass-fed: We would need an additional 131 million acres
(e.g., 75 % of the land of Texas) GHG emissions increase by 134.5 million tons
of CO2e (26.6 million cars) Water use by 468 billion gallons (53.1 million
households)(Capper, 2012)
Some of the Dairy Numbers…
Comparing dairies in 1944 to 2007 modern operations require 21 % fewer animals 23 % less feedstuffs 35 % less water 10 % less land
They produce 43% less CH4 and 56% less N2O per billion kg of milk.
Snap-shot of Michigan DairyProductivity
Source: The Oakland Press
http://www.usdairy.com/sustainability/Pages/Home.aspx
Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy
Michigan MAEAP
National Pork Board and the National Pork Producers Council
Among Six Ethical Principals:
“Safeguard Natural Resources in All of Our Practices”
Agriculture EMS In Practice
Smithfield Farms ISO 14001 Certified
National Dairy FARM Program
Chapter 7: Environment and Facilities
NMPF Dairy Environmental HandbookBest Management Practices
But we cannot ignore the growing population
Remember Thomas Malthus and Paul Ehrlich….
…with the growing demands
Past Dire Predictions
The battle to feed all of humanity is over. In the 1970s hundreds of millions of people will starve to death in spite of any crash programs embarked upon now. At this late date nothing can prevent a substantial increase in the world death rate.
Paul Ehrlich
Past Dire Predictions Didn’t Happen
They didn’t happen because we continued to advance farming practices with good science
What if had not embraced new technology?
Environmental Regulatory
Pressure from Environmental Activist Pressure from Consumers/Sustainability Pressures from Growing Demands…and Pressures from Environmental Regulatory
Environmental Regulatory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency State Environmental Regulators ENFORCMENT – Includes Fines and
Penalties
USEPA’s National Enforcement Initiatives for Fiscal Years 2011
- 2013 Keeping Raw Sewage and Contaminated
Stormwater Out of our Nation’s Waters Preventing Animal Waste from Contaminating
Surface and Ground Waters Cutting Toxic Air Pollution that Affects
Communities’ Health Reducing Widespread Air Pollution from the
Largest Sources, especially the Coal-Fired Utility, Cement, Glass, and Acid Sectors
Reducing Pollution from Mineral Processing Operations
Assuring Energy Extraction Sector Compliance with Environmental Laws
Source: http://www.epa.gov/oecaerth/data/planning/initiatives/initiatives.html
Major Environmental Regulations
Clean Water Act Spill Prevention Control & Countermeasure
(SPCC) Plans National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)
Clean Air Act National Air Emissions Monitoring Study
(NAEMS) Particulate Matter (PM) Greenhouse Gases (GHGs)
Environmental Regulations - CWA
SPCC Milk exemption – President mentioned in the State
of the Union Address Deadline for compliance with amendments May
2013 NPDES
Several court rulings regarding CAFOs that discharge or propose to discharge
State specific requirements (MI different) TMDL
1972 Federal Water Pollution Control Act 1st one RI Pond – $50K / 2 yrs
Environmental Regulations - CAA
NAEMS Data available Groups “using” this data Future emission standards? Certain obligations by those who signed
agreement Soon Emission Estimating Methodologies
published
Environmental Regulations - CAA
Particulate Matter (PM) – Regulation of Dust PM 10 PM 2.5
Good science? Regulation?
Other Issues –Manure Management
Digesters…or other methods of handling manure.
Odor reduction (PR/neighbor issue)
GHG Reduction (CAA issue)Pathogen Reduction (CWA issue)“Green Energy” (PR/CAA/Energy
issue)
Other Issues – Groundwater Supply
Quality and quantityPermits to withdrawLimitations to Growth
Is “romanticized” view of the past – realistic from standpoint of productivity or environmental sustainability?
We can’t get this wrong
If we want to feed the growing number of people and reduce our environmental footprint, then “intensification is the key” (Mitloehner, 2012)
Final Thoughts
Farming must continue to increase productivity to meet growing demands.
Must use science, but cannot just use science to communicate to the public
Meet increased demands “sustainable” farming Have an active part in regulatory development
Thank You
Alan HahnDragun Corporation
30445 Northwestern HighwaySuite 260
Farmington Hills, MI 48334248-932-0228