Washington, D.C.—-Soaring temperatures and low
precipitation could not occur at a worse time for many farmers in the
United States. Intensifying drought conditions are affecting corn and
soybean crops throughout the Midwest, raising grain prices as well as
concerns about future food prices. The U.S. Drought Monitor reports that
88 percent of this year’s corn crop and 77 percent of the soybean crop
are now affected by the most severe drought since 1988. The U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing drought assistance to
1,584 counties across 32 states and warns of increased food prices in
2013 as a result of corn and soybean yield losses.
Corn is currently selling at around $9 a bushel, a 50 percent
increase from June, while soybeans are selling at a record high of $17 a
bushel as a result of drought-related losses in crop yields. “The
increased prices may benefit farmers in the short run,” said Danielle
Nierenberg, director of the Worldwatch Institute’s Nourishing the Planet
project, “but consumers will experience the aftermath of price
increases in the form of more money spent on poultry, beef, pork, and
dairy products.”
Nearly half of all domestic corn production is used as livestock
feed, a trend that is now encouraging larger livestock producers to
import corn from Brazil while smaller farmers must reduce herd sizes by
sending more animals to the market. Most immediately, poultry prices are
expected to rise 3.5 to 4.5 percent due to the animals’ more rapid
growth and therefore more sudden response to higher feed prices. The
price of beef is projected to rise the highest—-4 to 5 percent by
November—-but at a slower rate, reflecting the longer growth period and
higher feed requirements of beef cattle.
Higher U.S. grain prices could have an even greater impact
worldwide. The United States is the world’s largest corn producer as
well as a major exporter of crop-derived agricultural products.
Declining domestic production could translate into exacerbated food
security problems abroad. Countries that import corn and soybean
byproducts or animal feed, such as Japan and Mexico, will be affected
the most.
Climate change is making it increasingly important to protect
local agriculture in the United States and address the issues underlying
its vulnerability to natural disasters, such as drought. “Fixing our
broken food system is about more than just food prices,” said
Nierenberg. “It’s about better management of natural resources,
equitable distribution, and the right to healthy and nutritious food.”
The Nourishing the Planet (
www.NourishingthePlanet.org)
project highlights 12 agricultural innovations that can help make U.S.
and global agriculture more drought resilient, as well as sustainable.
1. Agroforestry: Planting trees in and around
farms reduces soil erosion by providing a natural barrier against strong
winds and rainfall. Tree roots also stabilize and nourish soils. The
1990 Farm Bill established the USDA National Agroforestry Center with
the expressed aim of encouraging farmers to grow trees as windbreaks or
as part of combined forage and livestock production, among other uses.
2. Soil management: Alternating crop species
allows soil periods of rest, restores nutrients, and also controls
pests. Soil amendments, such as biochar, help soils retain moisture near
the surface by providing a direct source of water and nutrients to
plant roots, even in times of drought.
3. Increasing crop diversity: Mono-cropping often
exposes crops to pests and diseases associated with overcrowding, and
can increase market dependence on a few varieties: in the United States,
almost 90 percent of historic fruit and vegetable varieties have
vanished in favor of mono-cultured staples such as Pink Lady apples and
Yukon Gold potatoes. Encouraging diversity through agricultural
subsidies and informed consumption choices can help reverse this trend
and the threat it poses to domestic food security.
4. Improving food production from existing livestock: Improved
animal husbandry practices can increase milk and meat quantities
without the need to increase herd sizes or associated environmental
degradation. In India, farmers are improving the quality of their feed
by using grass, sorghum, stover, and brans to produce more milk from
fewer animals. This also reduces pressure on global corn supplies.
5. Diversifying livestock breeds: Most commercial
farming operations rely on a narrow range of commercial breeds selected
for their high productivity and low input needs. Selective breeding,
however, has also made these breeds vulnerable to diseases and changing
environments. Lesser-known livestock such as North American Bison are
often hardier and produce richer milk.
6. “Meatless Mondays”: Choosing not to eat meat at
least one day a week will reduce the environmental impacts associated
with livestock as well as increase food availability in domestic and
global markets. Current production methods require 7 kilograms of grain
and 100,000 liters of water for every 1 kilogram of meat. Livestock
production accounts for an estimated 18 percent of human-caused
greenhouse gas emissions and roughly 23 percent of agricultural water
use worldwide.
7. Smarter irrigation systems: The Ogallala High
Plains Aquifer, which supplies essential groundwater to many Midwestern
states, is experiencing record rates of depletion due to extraction for
irrigation purposes. Almost 50 percent of commercial and residential
irrigation water, however, is wasted due to evaporation, wind, improper
design, and overwatering. Installing water sensors or micro-irrigation
technology and planning water-efficient gardens or farms using specific
crops and locations can significantly reduce water scarcity problems.
8. Integrated farming systems:
Farming systems, such as permaculture, improve soil fertility and
agricultural productivity by using natural resources as sustainably and
efficiently as possible. Research and implementation of permaculture
techniques, such as recycling wastewater or planting groups of plants
that utilize the same resources in related ways, are expanding rapidly
across the United States.
9. Agroecological and organic farming: Organic and
agroecological farming methods are designed to build soil quality and
promote plant and animal health in harmony with local ecosystems.
Research shows that they can increase sustainable yield goals by 50
percent or more with relatively few external inputs. In contrast,
genetic engineering occasionally increases output by 10 percent, often
with unanticipated impacts on crop physiology and resistance.
10. Supporting small-scale farmers: Existing
agricultural subsidies in the United States cater disproportionately to
large-scale agribusinesses, 80 percent of which produce corn for animal
feed and ethanol. This means that small-scale producers are affected
more acutely by natural disasters and fluctuating commodity prices, even
though they are more likely to be involved in food production.
Government extension and support services should be adjusted to
alleviate this deficit.
11. Re-evaluating ethanol subsidies: Although
ethanol’s share of U.S. gasoline is still relatively small (projected at
15-17 percent by 2030), in 2009 the Congressional Budget Office
reported that increased demand for corn ethanol has, at times,
contributed to 10-15 percent of the rise in food prices. Encouraging
clean energy alternatives to crop-based biofuels will increase the
amount of food available for consumption, both at home and abroad.
12. Agricultural Research and Development (R&D): The
share of agricultural R&D undertaken by the U.S. public sector fell
from 54 percent in 1986 to 28 percent in 2009, and private research has
filled the gap. Private companies, however, are often legally bound to
maximize economic returns for investors, raising concerns over
scientific independence and integrity. Increased government funding and
support for agricultural research, development, and training programs
can help address issues such as hunger, malnutrition, and poverty
without being compromised by corporate objectives.
Although food prices will certainly continue to rise as the current
drought runs its course, it is clear that the United States has the
knowledge and the know-how to make its agricultural system more
sustainable and food secure. It’s now a question of putting these
innovations to work.
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