New US Farm Bill is Good News for the Environment

A long awaited farm bill is finally set to be passed and it contains good news for farmers looking for protection against crop losses, land conservation, hemp farming, organics, renewable energy, biofuels, biorefineries and biomass. While the bill preserves programs that foster local agriculture, it does not tackle the biggest environmental issue of agriculture's huge carbon footprint which is responsible for around 33 percent of US carbon emissions. It specifically ignores addressing the massive footprint of agricultural fertilizers and factory farms.

Infographics: Population, Food, Agriculture, Water, GHGs and Solutions (World Resources Institute)

Event - Sustainable Ag Expo

The 9th Sustainable Ag Expo will take place on November 18-19, 2013 at the Madonna Inn Expo Center in San Luis Obispo, California.

This event provides a unique opportunity for farmers, ag professionals, and pest control advisors representing a variety of operations to learn about the latest in farming research, resource issues, and business trends related to sustainable agriculture. This two-day educational meeting provides ample continuing education credits, an innovative trade show, and an exhibitor showcase.

Agricultural Costs of Climate Change, Land Degradation and Water Scarcity

According to one study the combined impacts of Climate change, land degradation and water scarcity could cost as much as $8 trillion in agriculture assets each year. This is the finding of a study from the University of Oxford’s Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment.

Agricultural impacts of climate change, land degradation and water scarcity are complicated by increased production. This increased production is due to growing investment in agriculture which is intended to capitalize on high commodity prices. According to the Oxford Smith School study capital stock could lose between $4.4 trillion and $8 trillion in a single year.

Invitation to Comment on the USDA GHG Climate Report

A call for comments on the recent USDA greenhouse gas (GHG) climate report titled, Science-Based Methods for Entity-Scale Quantification of Greenhouse Gas Sources and Sinks from Agriculture and Forestry Practices, and was published by the Climate Change Program Office of the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Office of the Chief Economist.

The report is the work of 38 scientists from across academia, USDA and the federal government. These researchers are experts in GHG estimation in the cropland, grazing land, livestock and forest management sectors.

The report outlines a set of consensus methods for quantifying GHG emissions and carbon storage at the local farm, ranch or forest scale. The methods reviewed have undergone peer review and exhibit both scientific rigor and cost effectiveness.