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New Report Highlights Efficient Farm Production

A new report released by Field to Market, the Keystone Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, demonstrates how corn, wheat, soybeans, cotton, rice and potatoes are being produced more efficiently in the US than they were 30 years ago, accompanied by important improvements in farm safety and economic sustainability for producers. At the same time, increased production to meet growing demand has also resulted in greater overall resource use by many crops.

Stewart Ramsey, principal and senior economist at IHS Global Insight, which conducted the analyses for the report, notes, "Sustainability for agriculture is a complex, multidimensional topic; the intent of this report is to bring together best available data and science to inform the conversation and provide a picture of U.S. agriculture's sustainability changes over the past three decades."

Fred Luckey, chairman of Field to Market, describes the report as "an innovative, scientific, and collaborative way to define and measure outcomes for sustainable agriculture. The report reflects significant progress as well as continued opportunities for improvement in the face of real sustainability challenges."

"Farmers have a great story to tell about improving conservation on their lands. We still have a lot of work ahead to meet the dual needs of production and sustainability. The way to get there is through partnerships like Field to Market and using better science and better tools to make documentable improvements in the footprint of commodity production," explained Suzy Friedman, deputy director, working lands at Environmental Defense Fund.