American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall says agriculture is dedicated to sustainability and protecting the environment.
Duvall recently told farm broadcasters that American agriculture seeks to get the most out of their livestock and crops while ensuring a bright future for the land, animals and resources entrusted to them.
?Farmers have put 140 million acres voluntarily into conservation programs. And then of course, a lot of other techniques are being used like low till or no till, and over half of our corn, cotton, soybean and wheat acres in the United States have been put in those practices which helps conserve or retain carbon in the soil. And we also have about 200 million acres that has cover crop on it.?
Duvall says there?s a lot of misleading information coming from agriculture?s critics. When it comes to livestock, Duvall says it?s easy to point to misleading statistics about cattle and climate change.
?But here’s the truth, and this is taken directly from EPA and USDA data. Beef cattle production accounts for two percent of all of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. More effective farming methods and the use of new technologies have led to a reduction of the per-unit emissions in cattle. Our critics are looking for a simple solution to a complex problem. Adding burdensome regulations that will reduce affordable protein would make food more expensive and worsen food insecurity issues for millions of our families across America.?
Duvall says farmers need to share their stories in order to debunk unfair criticism.
?It?s easy to get frustrated when we see agriculture misrepresented in the media, but we must remember that almost 90 percent of Americans say that they trust farmers and we have a positive story to share with them. We can’t fall into the trap of going low even when our critics do so because it will jeopardize the public’s trust in us. It’s important that we seek opportunities to engage with our neighbors, and with the media to help set the tone to ensure agriculture is being portrayed honestly.?
To learn more about how the America Farm Bureau promotes agriculture, visit fb.org/sustainability.
