U.S. soybean producers have launched
a new website that defines the concept of sustainability and points to how agriculture represents "the original sustainability success story", according to an announcement by the United Soybean Board (USB).
Many people define and measure sustainability differently, and discussions about its meaning often "can generate more heat than light", said David Wilson, a soybean farmer from Lincoln, Alabama, and chair of the USB Sustainability Initiative.
Agriculture always has been sustainable, and soybean producers are engaged in some innovative work to build on that history, making sure soybean production continually decreases its environmental impact and remains sustainable going forward, he said.
There's a lot more at stake than people realise, he noted.
In just 20 years, the amount of land available for growing grains in the US per person will be just one-third of what was available in 1950, Wilson said, adding that, at most, there is only 12 per cent more arable land that is not forested or environmentally marginal.
Meanwhile, in just 10 years, the need for fresh water will be 17pc higher than the availability of that water, he said.
"These are significant problems that threaten the food supply" but ones that get little media attention, even with "all the green chatter that's going on".
Soybean producers are proactively improving their sustainability, Doug Goehring, a producer from North Dakota, adding that "we are sustainable, and we'll continue to perfect that".
According to an analysis by Field to Market, a group of grower organisations, agribusinesses, food companies and conservation organizations, some of these improvements include:
- Increases in soybean production since 1987 have led to a 26pc decrease in land use per bushel, or, put another way, it would take adding a production area the size of Indiana to produce as many bushels of soybeans then as are being produced today.
Energy use for soybean production since 1987 has decreased 1.34 million Btus per acre, or 54pc, and energy use per bushel of soybeans produced has decreased 61pc.Soil loss for soybean production since 1987 has decreased one ton per acre, or 37pc, or, put another way, soil loss per bushel of soybeans produced has decreased 46pc due to sustainable production shifts such as reduced tillage.Carbon emissions from soybean production since 1987 have been reduced 22 lb. per acre, or 24pc, and emissions per bushel of soybeans produced have been reduced 35pc.Water use efficiency for soybean production since 1987 has increased 20pc.There's a misconception that farming is destructive to the environment, said Mike Thede, a soybean producer from Palmer, Nebraska, but "farmers grow their products in the environment, so it's in our best interest to take care of the environment".
Wilson also noted that soybean sustainability extends past the soybean farm to livestock, poultry and aquaculture production, where feeding soybean meal "helps significantly increase" animal nutrition and production efficiency, which decreases the impact of hog, poultry and fish production on the environment.
Agriculture "has kept pace" with demand for grain and food in the past, Wilson said, but continual improvement will be needed to keep production in step with demand and natural resources in the future.
Soybean producers are seeking to make production sustainable not only in producing soybeans but in producing meat and other food, he said.
USB is a board of 68 soybean growers who manage the soybean checkoff.
Here's the point
SOMETIMES, the debate on sustainability gets hung up more on what it means than on what already has been accomplished or is getting done.
That's kind of the view of the United Soybean Board, which has launched a new web site to define the issue and discuss the latter. In fact, the web site - www.usbthinkingahe ad.com - discusses many accomplishments in several sectors of agriculture, including livestock, poultry and food production.
It's a good resource for people with questions about how their food is produced.
Another good resource is the Tyson Foods sustainability report covering its most recent two years, titled "Rooted in Tradition, Growing Responsibly". It's available for download at www.tyson.com.
Sustainability "is about doing the right thing across all aspects of our business", Tyson chief environmental, health and safety officer Kevin Igli said.
It guides the company's actions on such important matters as animal well-being, environmental protection, food safety, hunger relief, employee health and safety and ethical business practices, he said.
The report outlines sustainability accomplishments such as how Tyson has reduced water usage 14pc since 2004 and sustainability goals such as its plans to reduce water usage a further 10pc over a two-year period.
The accomplishments in preserving natural resources and other sustainability activities like soybean producers and Tyson have posted are important messages that are available for interested parties.
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