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

Activism

http://www.themeatrix.com/

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

ahahn@dragun.com