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Nirvana · 08-07-2010, 10:04 AM

Ag Briefs: Here are the facts to some common misperceptions of farming today.

LINK

Perception: Agriculture increases greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to global warming.

Fact: The entire U.S. agricultural sector accounts for only about 6% of total U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; livestock production is just over 2%. Fossil fuel combustion contributes to about 79% of all GHG emissions. Additionally, billions of pounds of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere are captured in conservation-tilled soils.

Source: U.S. EPA "Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions," U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratories 2006 report

Perception: Biotech food is not necessary or safe.

Fact: Biotech crops have been commercialized for nearly 15 years, and today are grown by more than 10 million farmers in 22 countries. The higher yields from biotech crops will help feed a global population expected to surpass 9 billion people by 2050. Biotech foods are non-toxic to animals and to humans. The meat, milk and eggs from farm animals fed biotech feed are exactly the same as those from animals eating conventional feed. Future biotech crops are expected to address production issues related to drought, enrich vital nutrients, remove natural toxins and help solve such problems as vitamin A deficiency and allergies. Biotech feeds also may help decrease phosphorus and nitrogen excretion in livestock, total manure excretion and offensive odors.

Source: Chris Leaver, Professor of Plant Science at Oxford University

Perception: Livestock antibiotics and growth promotants are bad for animals and for humans.

Fact: Antibiotics protect animal health. What's more, no meat sold in the U.S. can contain antibiotic residues that violate Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards. Growth promotants improve an animal's ability to gain more lean muscle from less feed. Growth promotants help reduce the total cost of beef production by $50 to $80 per animal and lower the cost of retail beef by 20 to 30 cents per pound. Without growth-promoting hormones, beef supplies would shrink and the average retail price would rise 10 to 15%. Growth promotants are thoroughly tested by FDA. Since 1967 the Federal Meat Inspection Act has required USDA to test for product residues. Through 2005, the most current data available, zero residue violations were reported.

Source: USDA, FDA, Rick Rasby, University of Nebraska animal science professor

Perception: Manure is a threat to water sources and to the environment.

Fact: Properly managed manure systems will not contaminate groundwater or surface water. Studies show groundwater nitrate concentration is high in heavily populated areas even though nitrogen loadings from commercial fertilizer and manure may be low. Likewise, phosphorus concentrations exceed limits in 75% of sampled urban streams versus 25% of sampled agricultural streams.

Source: EPA and U.S. Geologic Survey

Perception: Ethanol production takes more energy than ethanol use saves.

Fact: The amount of energy to produce a gallon of ethanol has decreased an average 30% within the past decade. Cleaner, more efficient dry mill plants use 28% less thermal energy and 32% less electricity to turn corn into ethanol. The EPA notes for every BTU of gasoline replaced by ethanol, total life cycle greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide) that would have been produced from that BTU is reduced nearly 22%.

Source: University of Illinois at Chicago's Energy Resources Center

Perception: Agriculture increases greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to global warming.

Fact: The entire U.S. agricultural sector accounts for only about 6% of total U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; livestock production is just over 2%. Fossil fuel combustion contributes to about 79% of all GHG emissions. Additionally, billions of pounds of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere are captured in conservation-tilled soils.

Source: U.S. EPA "Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions," U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratories 2006 report

Perception: Farmers' use of chemicals harms the environment.

Fact: Better product formulations in the past 20 years have made products less toxic and more degradable. In addition, the introduction of herbicide- and insecticide-tolerant crops has decreased herbicide active ingredient use by more than 47 million pounds in soybeans and cotton and insecticide active ingredient use by nearly 9 million pounds in cotton and corn.

Source: "Facilitating Conservation Farming Practices and Enhancing Environmental Sustainability with Agricultural Biotechnology," Conservation Technology Information Center

Perception: Large corporate farms produce most U.S. food.

Fact: While it's true that less than 10% of all farms grow 62% of the U.S. crops, most are family farms. Specifically, 99% of U.S. farms and ranches are owned by individuals, family corporations or partnerships. More than 2 million farms are family owned compared with about 7,000 non-family-controlled corporate farms.

Source: USDA

Perception: Commercial farming practices increase soil erosion.

Fact: Cropland soil erosion from rainfall, field runoff and wind has declined more than 40% since 1982, representing a yearly savings of more than 1.2 billion tons of soil. The dramatic drop is attributed to less highly erodible land (HEL) and greater attention to conservation practices. From 1982 to 2003, HEL acreage decreased by nearly 28%, and non-highly erodible cropland (NHEL) declined by about 13% as land was converted to other uses like the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Total soil loss on cultivated cropland during that time fell 39%. The amount of U.S. cropland that utilizes related residue management practices has grown by nearly 50 million acres since 1982.

Source: Natural Resources Conservation Service 2007 National Resources Inventory (NRI) Report, a statistical survey of land use and natural resource conditions and trends on U.S. non-federal lands

08-07-2010, 10:04 AM	#1
Nirvana Back in 10 Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 3,684	Mispeceptions of Farming Ag Briefs: Here are the facts to some common misperceptions of farming today. LINK Perception: Agriculture increases greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to global warming. Fact: The entire U.S. agricultural sector accounts for only about 6% of total U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; livestock production is just over 2%. Fossil fuel combustion contributes to about 79% of all GHG emissions. Additionally, billions of pounds of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere are captured in conservation-tilled soils. Source: U.S. EPA "Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions," U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratories 2006 report Perception: Biotech food is not necessary or safe. Fact: Biotech crops have been commercialized for nearly 15 years, and today are grown by more than 10 million farmers in 22 countries. The higher yields from biotech crops will help feed a global population expected to surpass 9 billion people by 2050. Biotech foods are non-toxic to animals and to humans. The meat, milk and eggs from farm animals fed biotech feed are exactly the same as those from animals eating conventional feed. Future biotech crops are expected to address production issues related to drought, enrich vital nutrients, remove natural toxins and help solve such problems as vitamin A deficiency and allergies. Biotech feeds also may help decrease phosphorus and nitrogen excretion in livestock, total manure excretion and offensive odors. Source: Chris Leaver, Professor of Plant Science at Oxford University Perception: Livestock antibiotics and growth promotants are bad for animals and for humans. Fact: Antibiotics protect animal health. What's more, no meat sold in the U.S. can contain antibiotic residues that violate Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards. Growth promotants improve an animal's ability to gain more lean muscle from less feed. Growth promotants help reduce the total cost of beef production by $50 to $80 per animal and lower the cost of retail beef by 20 to 30 cents per pound. Without growth-promoting hormones, beef supplies would shrink and the average retail price would rise 10 to 15%. Growth promotants are thoroughly tested by FDA. Since 1967 the Federal Meat Inspection Act has required USDA to test for product residues. Through 2005, the most current data available, zero residue violations were reported. Source: USDA, FDA, Rick Rasby, University of Nebraska animal science professor Perception: Manure is a threat to water sources and to the environment. Fact: Properly managed manure systems will not contaminate groundwater or surface water. Studies show groundwater nitrate concentration is high in heavily populated areas even though nitrogen loadings from commercial fertilizer and manure may be low. Likewise, phosphorus concentrations exceed limits in 75% of sampled urban streams versus 25% of sampled agricultural streams. Source: EPA and U.S. Geologic Survey Perception: Ethanol production takes more energy than ethanol use saves. Fact: The amount of energy to produce a gallon of ethanol has decreased an average 30% within the past decade. Cleaner, more efficient dry mill plants use 28% less thermal energy and 32% less electricity to turn corn into ethanol. The EPA notes for every BTU of gasoline replaced by ethanol, total life cycle greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide) that would have been produced from that BTU is reduced nearly 22%. Source: University of Illinois at Chicago's Energy Resources Center Perception: Agriculture increases greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to global warming. Fact: The entire U.S. agricultural sector accounts for only about 6% of total U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; livestock production is just over 2%. Fossil fuel combustion contributes to about 79% of all GHG emissions. Additionally, billions of pounds of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere are captured in conservation-tilled soils. Source: U.S. EPA "Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions," U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratories 2006 report Perception: Farmers' use of chemicals harms the environment. Fact: Better product formulations in the past 20 years have made products less toxic and more degradable. In addition, the introduction of herbicide- and insecticide-tolerant crops has decreased herbicide active ingredient use by more than 47 million pounds in soybeans and cotton and insecticide active ingredient use by nearly 9 million pounds in cotton and corn. Source: "Facilitating Conservation Farming Practices and Enhancing Environmental Sustainability with Agricultural Biotechnology," Conservation Technology Information Center Perception: Large corporate farms produce most U.S. food. Fact: While it's true that less than 10% of all farms grow 62% of the U.S. crops, most are family farms. Specifically, 99% of U.S. farms and ranches are owned by individuals, family corporations or partnerships. More than 2 million farms are family owned compared with about 7,000 non-family-controlled corporate farms. Source: USDA Perception: Commercial farming practices increase soil erosion. Fact: Cropland soil erosion from rainfall, field runoff and wind has declined more than 40% since 1982, representing a yearly savings of more than 1.2 billion tons of soil. The dramatic drop is attributed to less highly erodible land (HEL) and greater attention to conservation practices. From 1982 to 2003, HEL acreage decreased by nearly 28%, and non-highly erodible cropland (NHEL) declined by about 13% as land was converted to other uses like the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Total soil loss on cultivated cropland during that time fell 39%. The amount of U.S. cropland that utilizes related residue management practices has grown by nearly 50 million acres since 1982. Source: Natural Resources Conservation Service 2007 National Resources Inventory (NRI) Report, a statistical survey of land use and natural resource conditions and trends on U.S. non-federal lands __________________ Speaking simply... do not confuse this with having a simple mind.