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Chapter 5

AGRICULTURE’S US farmers count on

SUSTAINABLE

FUTURE: environmental

Feeding more practices to get edge
while using less
in foreign markets

By Bill Tomson

.S. farmers have watched for years as curb the sale of agricultural products “associ-
Brazil has become an agricultural power- ated with deforestation or forest degradation.”
Uhouse, grabbing increasing market share Marty Matlock, a University of Arkansas scientist
in soybeans, cotton, beef and other commodities who advises sustainability programs for numerous
by converting its vast rainforests and savanna U.S. farm commodities, believes that U.S. farmers
into cropland, with plans to expand even more should have “a significant competitive advantage”
over the coming decade. against Brazil and Argentina at least when it
Another U.S. competitor, Argentina, has grown comes to selling soybeans, corn and beef into the
its grain production in part by breaking up its EU, a market of 440 million consumers.
Pampas grasslands, a practice that contributes to “We have spent the last 15 years developing
greenhouse gas emissions.
and documenting our sustainability initiatives
Meanwhile, U.S. agriculture groups have been that are multi-stakeholder, validated by external
struggling to address demands by policymakers parties, have the oversight of our conservation
and major multinational corporate customers organizations, and the engagement of our con-
to cut U.S. farmers’ environmental footprint. servation organizations, who are also active in
Now, those groups are hoping the progress pro- Europe,” he said.
ducers are making and the work done to docu- Some of the same farming practices, such as
ment it will pay off in a competitive advantage conservation tillage and cover crops, that are
for U.S. ag exports in the lucrative European being sold to U.S. farmers as ways to improve
and Asian markets. soil health, reduce runoff and potentially make
One reason it might be a good bet, say experts, them eligible for carbon credits could also help
is the European Union’s new Green Deal, a compete in foreign markets: Scientists are
sweeping set of proposals that include new met- working to produce data that will assure markets
rics for agricultural sustainability. Among other and policymakers that those carbon-conserving
things, the EU document calls for measures to practices reduce the environmental footprint of

www.Agri-Pulse.com 55