USFRA Shares GHG-Reduction Research and Insights at Dairy Strong Conference

U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action engaged with farmers about environmentally and financially sustainable practices during the Dairy Strong conference Jan. 16 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

The challenge and opportunity for U.S. agriculture is that there is no single strategy for doing so, Dr. Charles Rice of Kansas State University said.

“It has to fit with your operation, your soil, your climate. So, with all of these (practices), there’s a menu of options,” Rice told an audience during a USFRA panel discussion at the conference, where he also shared an overview of USFRA’s peer-reviewed research report, “Potential for U.S. Agriculture to Be Greenhouse Gas Negative.” Rice is a primary author of the report.

U.S. agriculture, with enhanced implementation of conservation practices and emerging technologies, has an opportunity to more than offset its carbon footprint while increasing farmer profitability and farm resilience, according to the report, which was authored by 26 leading independent researchers, peer reviewed by the National Academy of Sciences and published by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology.

The researchers identified five areas offering the most significant opportunities to offset the roughly 10% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions contributed by agriculture, including soil carbon management, nitrogen fertilizer management, animal production and management, crop yield gap and efficient energy use. Collectively, aggressive adoption of conservation practices in these areas has the potential to make the sector a carbon sink, the report found.

The report does not prescribe practices for farmers and instead reflects that each farming operation is unique because of different commodities, soil types, weather and other factors.

USFRA CEO Kevin Burkum said that while the report identifies challenges to becoming GHG-negative, overall it reflects good news.

“This report speaks to the enormous potential of what’s possible. Agriculture is the only sector that can help solve some of the world’s greatest challenges and be carbon negative.”

Burkum moderated the panel, which also featured USFRA Chair Michael Crinion, who dairy farms in South Dakota, and Josh Luth, Schreiber Foods’ director of sustainability for the Americas.

Other highlights from the discussion:

Farm profitability: Crinion, whose farm has obtained a carbon intensity score through a program led by Farmers for Sustainable Food, said determining how to monetize conservation efforts with consumer packaged goods companies is important.

“First and foremost, it has to be financially sustainable for the farmers. We need to drive that message home,” Crinion said.

Dr. Rice emphasized that implementing GHG-reducing practices goes hand in hand with creating farm efficiencies, which lead to stronger profitability. “That’s tangible to the farmer.”

First steps for farmers: When asked about suggestions for farmers who might be overwhelmed thinking about implementing GHG-reducing practices, Rice said identifying the farm operation’s current carbon footprint is key. “It’s really about knowledge and data.”