The benefits of agronomy programs and Agriculture’s focus on environment stewardship were the focus of recent Senate hearings.
The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry recently held hearings on agriculture and the environment, entitled Climate Change and the Agriculture Sector, and it gave the ag industry a chance to toot its own horn, especially where agronomy programs—those focusing on the science of soil management and crop production—are concerned. A press release from The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) outlined ag’s focus on environmental stewardship heard by the committee members. Read the details below.
Environmental Stewardship and Agronomy Programs
In the press release, TFI’s President & CEO Chris Jahn praised the testimony of farmer Matt Rezac, who spoke before the committee. “Matt Rezac is a 4th generation farmer who fully embodies what it means to be a good steward of the land by embracing 4R nutrient stewardship principles as part of the Land O’Lakes SUSTAIN program,” Jahn is quoted as saying in the press release, adding that “SUSTAIN and similar agronomy programs demonstrate the added value that farmer-owned cooperatives and agricultural retailers can bring to their grower customers by providing robust data, analytics and insights to help make informed management decisions on the farm.” Jahn pointed out that Rezac’s history with the land—his family has farmed it for 140 years—and his desire to leave it to future generations in the family mean that the land will be taken care of and respected from an environmental standpoint.
Additionally, Jahn shared other ways the fertilizer industry has benefited the environment. “On the fertilizer production side, our industry captured, re-used or recycled nearly a quarter of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2017 and generated over half of all operating energy through waste heat capture. The amount of C02 emissions captured in 2016 was the equivalent of taking 1.7 million cars off the road for a year.”
He also added that “In terms of practical land use, fertilizer has helped reduce global deforestation, the effects of which harm our planet’s ability to absorb carbon emissions. Without the yield increasing benefits of fertilizer on just corn alone, our country would need an additional 175 million acres of farmland, which is roughly the size of Texas.”
Jahn ended by quoting Rezac’s testimony: ‘[W]e can produce an abundant food supply, safeguard resources for the future, maintain our businesses and lead the way on climate solutions.’”
Griffin Fertilizer is committed to helping both growers and ranchers make sound agronomic and economic decisions in order to maximize the health of their grove and pasture. As a full-service custom dry & liquid fertilizer blender and crop protection product distributor, we will continue our mission to further advance Florida agriculture. For questions or concerns about your farm or pasture, contact us and one of our team will be in touch.