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The Food Dialogues is a site created and managed by the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA). USFRA created The Food Dialogues to answer Americans’ questions about how food is grown and raised. This organization, which is a coalition of farmers, ranchers and their industry partners, is committed to continuously improving how they grow and raise food that provides healthy choices for people everywhere. Through The Food Dialogues, USFRA hopes to bring together different viewpoints on farming and ranching and the future of food to solve our most challenging problems.

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Questions Within: Environmental Stewardship

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We're undergoing the most devastating environmental crisis the human-populated earth may ever see, in the form of climate change. What responsibility do food and especially meat producers have in this crisis, and what should they be doing to mitigate climate change, now and in the future?

Author: Natural Systems Agriculture

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Topic: Environmental Stewardship

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Comment (0)

0

Vote

When it comes to the environmental impact of our diet, with a few exceptions, what we eat has a far greater influence than where or how it was produced. Yes, local is important, yes, organic production is important, but by far the change that would cause the greatest reduction in the environmental footprint of the average American's diet is to eat less animal-based foods. Ultimately, this should be a choice that the eater makes, but it needs to be a well-informed choice. My question: how is USFRA contributing to this dialogue and helping eaters understand that animal-based foods, almost regardless of how they are produced, have an inherently higher environmental impact than plant-based foods? ps - I am not a vegetarian, but I am a scientist that studies the environmental impact of our food system!

Author: Marty

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

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Comment (0)

0

Vote

Could we learn from other cultures who have installed monoculture crops for cash at the expense of biodiversity?

Author: pdjmoo

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (0)

0

Vote

In response to the question of useing genetics - shouldn't we consider the ethics of NOT using genetics when its use enables a safe and more environmentally sustainable production system?

Author: cmbruhn

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

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Comment (2)

7

Vote

How would you respond to criticism that "farmers primary goal is yield- not quality?"

Author: Mary Hagan

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

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Comment (7)

1

Vote

How can we tell the world outside of no till farming about all of the benefits that a no till cropping system adds to the environment and how it greatly improves soil health?

Author: ksfarmboy

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (1)

2

Vote

Have we lost sight of the main goal of conservation programs? Seems the farmer/rancher is often the last to have input on developing conservation programs that will truly benefit farming/ranching while protecting resources.

Author: Denise

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (2)

1

Vote

Should farmers have to enact environmentally friendly practices in exchange for taxpayer support for insurance and subsidies?

Author: DonEWG

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (2)

4

Vote

When I first opened this site, there was a place to make a comment about a question. I really wanted to comment so I registered. Now there is no comment button to be found, only a vote. I don't even know what "vote" on a question means,

Author: BJ McDonald

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (1)

1

Vote

Why do none of the large agribusinesses consider building the soil to be a priority? Chemical farming, far from being traditional, is the antithesis of truly traditional farming, which entails great efforts to build the soil each and every year, leading to healthier plants which are far more resistant to pests and disease without the need for chemical amendments. Addicting plants to chemical fertilizers, much as addicting humans to chemical drugs, can only have a deleterious effect in the long run. Building the soil, conversely, leads to healthier plants and a healthier environment in which to grow them.

Author: Keyspoet

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (12)

35

Vote

As an individual about to start a small organic farm, where I am planning on growing a wide variety of crops using primarily aquaponics and permaculture, how can I best ensure that my crops will not be tainted by GMOs from Monsanto and DuPont, among others?

Author: Keyspoet

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (3)

13

Vote

Some people rail against the use of chemical fertilizers. Then, they also criticize the use of manure as fertilizer, claiming that is runs off into water bodies. If farmers can't use synthetic fertilizer, and they can't use manure, how the heck are we going to grow enough food for everyone? It's easy to criticize this practice and that practice, but we shouldn't starve ourselves in the process of trying to shrink agriculture's environmental footprint.

Author: lynnejf

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (2)

5

Vote

Runoff from commercial fertilizers can endanger our water resources. What standards, if any, does the agricultural industry use for fertilizing commodity and other crops? How does the industry work to offset damages to the environment caused by commercial fertilizer runoff?

Author: clrexford

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (1)

9

Vote

The Clean Water Act is almost 40 years old. The EPA regulations generally require confined animal feeding operations to have no discharges unless a 25 year rainfall event occurs and limit land application of wastes to less than required for safe fertilization. A big effort has been made to reduce fertilizer use to only that which will be removed by harvest and shipped off the farm. Has there been a measurable improvement in river quality?

Author: Rex Peterson

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (0)

0

Vote

How are members of the USFRA addressing the massive dead zones (in the Gulf Coast and elsewhere) caused by nitrogen runoff?

Author: Twilight

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (2)

12

Vote

The press reports that the carbon footprint of animal agriculture is high. What are farmers / ranchers doing to reduce ag carbon footprint?

Author: TruffleMedia

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (8)

11

Vote

Are farmers and ranchers really focused on sustainability?

Author: USFRA

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (1)

11

Vote

Why do none of the large agribusinesses consider building the soil to be a priority? Chemical farming, far from being traditional, is the antithesis of truly traditional farming, which entails great efforts to build the soil each and every year, leading to healthier plants which are far more resistant to pests and disease without the need for chemical amendments. Addicting plants to chemical fertilizers, much as addicting humans to chemical drugs, can only have a deleterious effect in the long run. Building the soil, conversely, leads to healthier plants and a healthier environment in which to grow them.

Author: Keyspoet

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (12)

35

Vote

As an individual about to start a small organic farm, where I am planning on growing a wide variety of crops using primarily aquaponics and permaculture, how can I best ensure that my crops will not be tainted by GMOs from Monsanto and DuPont, among others?

Author: Keyspoet

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (3)

13

Vote

How are members of the USFRA addressing the massive dead zones (in the Gulf Coast and elsewhere) caused by nitrogen runoff?

Author: Twilight

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (2)

12

Vote

Are farmers and ranchers really focused on sustainability?

Author: USFRA

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (1)

11

Vote

The press reports that the carbon footprint of animal agriculture is high. What are farmers / ranchers doing to reduce ag carbon footprint?

Author: TruffleMedia

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (8)

11

Vote

Runoff from commercial fertilizers can endanger our water resources. What standards, if any, does the agricultural industry use for fertilizing commodity and other crops? How does the industry work to offset damages to the environment caused by commercial fertilizer runoff?

Author: clrexford

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (1)

9

Vote

In response to the question of useing genetics - shouldn't we consider the ethics of NOT using genetics when its use enables a safe and more environmentally sustainable production system?

Author: cmbruhn

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (2)

7

Vote

Some people rail against the use of chemical fertilizers. Then, they also criticize the use of manure as fertilizer, claiming that is runs off into water bodies. If farmers can't use synthetic fertilizer, and they can't use manure, how the heck are we going to grow enough food for everyone? It's easy to criticize this practice and that practice, but we shouldn't starve ourselves in the process of trying to shrink agriculture's environmental footprint.

Author: lynnejf

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (2)

5

Vote

Should farmers have to enact environmentally friendly practices in exchange for taxpayer support for insurance and subsidies?

Author: DonEWG

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (2)

4

Vote

How can we tell the world outside of no till farming about all of the benefits that a no till cropping system adds to the environment and how it greatly improves soil health?

Author: ksfarmboy

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (1)

2

Vote

When I first opened this site, there was a place to make a comment about a question. I really wanted to comment so I registered. Now there is no comment button to be found, only a vote. I don't even know what "vote" on a question means,

Author: BJ McDonald

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (1)

1

Vote

Have we lost sight of the main goal of conservation programs? Seems the farmer/rancher is often the last to have input on developing conservation programs that will truly benefit farming/ranching while protecting resources.

Author: Denise

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (2)

1

Vote

How would you respond to criticism that "farmers primary goal is yield- not quality?"

Author: Mary Hagan

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (7)

1

Vote

The Clean Water Act is almost 40 years old. The EPA regulations generally require confined animal feeding operations to have no discharges unless a 25 year rainfall event occurs and limit land application of wastes to less than required for safe fertilization. A big effort has been made to reduce fertilizer use to only that which will be removed by harvest and shipped off the farm. Has there been a measurable improvement in river quality?

Author: Rex Peterson

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (0)

0

Vote

Could we learn from other cultures who have installed monoculture crops for cash at the expense of biodiversity?

Author: pdjmoo

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (0)

0

Vote

When it comes to the environmental impact of our diet, with a few exceptions, what we eat has a far greater influence than where or how it was produced. Yes, local is important, yes, organic production is important, but by far the change that would cause the greatest reduction in the environmental footprint of the average American's diet is to eat less animal-based foods. Ultimately, this should be a choice that the eater makes, but it needs to be a well-informed choice. My question: how is USFRA contributing to this dialogue and helping eaters understand that animal-based foods, almost regardless of how they are produced, have an inherently higher environmental impact than plant-based foods? ps - I am not a vegetarian, but I am a scientist that studies the environmental impact of our food system!

Author: Marty

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (0)

0

Vote

We're undergoing the most devastating environmental crisis the human-populated earth may ever see, in the form of climate change. What responsibility do food and especially meat producers have in this crisis, and what should they be doing to mitigate climate change, now and in the future?

Author: Natural Systems Agriculture

:

Topic: Environmental Stewardship

:

Comment (0)

0

Vote

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