Exports: A Path to Greater Sustainability?
Every farmer knows that the key
to producing the biggest crop is putting the best seed into the most fertile
ground and ensuring that it receives the moisture, sunlight and nutrients
required for optimum growth. For nearly
two years, I’ve been emphasizing sustainable intensification, responsibly maximizing
productivity while minimizing environmental impact through a systems approach
to farming. That includes such
strategies as double cropping, planting cover crops, improving energy
efficiency and employing precision placement of nutrients.
Recently, at a dairy
sustainability meeting, I was intrigued by a presentation Roger Cady of Elanco gave
that suggested that exports could play a critical role in increasing food
security and sustainability as the world’s population swells to 9.5 billion
over the next 35 years. By sourcing
products from areas with sustainable production systems and strong regulatory
programs, it is possible to both increase production and reduce worldwide
environmental risks.
Roger pointed out that on a
global basis, there is 14 percent less cattle sourced milk per person today
than in 1961 even though dairy productivity has doubled over the past 50
years. Why that mismatch? Population growth.
And in most of the world,
increased food production has come from adding more farmland or in the case of
milk, more cows. We cannot afford to
keep adding cows in order to increase supply as it simply increases the water
and carbon footprint of keeping them alive.
The key to sustainable intensification is to produce food (in this case
milk) more efficiently. After all, not
every cow is created equal. Some breeds
are better milk producers. Some herds
get better food. Some get better care. Some get better management. Some have better
living conditions. On the other hand, some effective land and herd and feed management
practices that are better suited to supporting more cows who produce more milk are
simply not possible in some places.
For example, Roger cited the
U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization findings that Asia has 41 percent of
the dairy cows worldwide, but produces 27 percent of the milk. Likewise, Africa has 20 percent of the cows,
but they contribute five percent of the milk supply. Yet Europe with 15 percent of the cows
produces 35 percent of the world milk supply while North America’s four percent
of cows provide 16 percent of the global milk.
What really caught my attention
was Roger’s analysis of the environmental impact of dairy cows around the
world. Two things stood out. First, for the most part, each cow’s output
of waste will be similar, although cows fed some grain will produce less
methane than those with diets composed solely of roughage from grazing. Second,
if one really good cow that is well cared for can produce as much as two
average or poor cows with less than optimal management, then that’s half the
waste for the same production.
For me, that’s a strong case for
sustainable exports. High production per
dairy cow reduces waste per gallon of milk produced, and better waste
management further reduces environmental impact. It stands to reason that this may apply to
other sectors of agriculture as well.
Nations with high-producing cows
and opportunities to expand production can substantially contribute to
improving diets and meeting the increasing demand for protein in countries with
growing middle class populations, such as China and India. According to Elanco’s estimates, U.S. exports
are already reducing the carbon footprint of global milk production and will
likely continue to do so.
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Buying local is very popular
today. But it is not always the most
sustainable strategy. Sometimes the
greatest cost-savings and the least environmental impact comes from buying from
the most efficient, environmentally conscious producer. For a child in China that could be milk from a
dairy farm in Wisconsin.
As we continue to examine
opportunities to increase production to feed a growing world population,
sustainable intensification may very well mean sustainable exports. It’s a concept worth further exploration.
About the
author: Bruce I. Knight, Principal, Strategic Conservation Solutions, was the
Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs at the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) from 2006 to 2009. From 2002 to 2006, Knight served as Chief
of Natural Resources Conservation Service. The South Dakota native worked on
Capitol Hill for Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, Rep. Fred Grandy, Iowa, and
Sen. James Abdnor, South Dakota. In addition, Knight served as vice president
for public policy for the National Corn Growers Association and also worked for
the National Association of Wheat Growers. A third-generation rancher and
farmer and lifelong conservationist, Knight operates a diversified grain and
cattle operation using no-till and rest rotation grazing systems
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