The Growers Program and Sustainability
The term "sustainable farming" became popular back in the 1980's after agricultural commodity prices struggled because of the Russian grain embargo in 1980. At that time, the term "sustainable farming" alluded to farm operations that were able to financially survive the economics of the time period. The term "sustainable" focused on farm methods which allowed farmers to financially succeed. Today's definition of sustainability is totally different.
These days, the consumer is driving the demand for products which they believe were produced with sustainability. This means the consumer wants to know how their food is grown and raised. What people choose to consume now reflects their values, aspirations and beliefs. So it is very important for food companies and farmers to address the sustainable issue. Consumers want to know what is going on at the farmer level, therefore, food companies are starting to evaluate practices which are used by farmers. Food companies want to know which practices used by the farmer meet the expectations of the end user. These expectations for sustainability can include a variety of subjects from environmental concerns to proper animal treatment.
Recently, the demands for sustainability by consumers have gotten the attention of the agricultural establishment. Various farm commodity groups are using check off funds to try and address major concerns which are advocated by consumer groups. Farm Journal's website agweb.com has presented the publication's new initiative called "Trust in Food" which addresses consumer interest in sustainability. Even the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Canadian Agricultural Ministry are announcing sustainability programs. In fact, the USDA announced various sustainability goals such as reducing agriculture's environmental footprint by 50% by 2050 while increasing farmers' productivity 40% over that time span. Also, the USDA along with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) announced the Next Gen Fertilizer Challenge along with the EEFs (Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers): Environmental and Agronomic Challenge. According to USDA, the goal of these challenges is to seek fertilizer technologies to maintain or improve crop yields while reducing the impacts of fertilizers on the environment. USDA is saying the agency is committed to practices to ensure that US agriculture is socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable for the future. Also, USEPA states that the next generation of fertilizers should either maintain or increase yields while reducing environmental impacts to air, land and water.
Recently, chemical weed control in cropping systems in the US has undergone significant regulatory change as the judicial branch of the US government has started to challenge the executive branch of government for control of chemical weed control practices due to consumer demands. Because of these consumer demands, Growers Mineral, Corp. questions if a similar change in regulatory control is coming for North American fertilization. If regulatory change becomes reality, Growers Mineral, Corp. feels that the Next Gen Fertilizer or Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer is already on the market as Growers Mineral Solutions (GMS) which is part of the Growers Program. Growers Mineral, Corp.'s experience since 1955 could be a very important key in helping farmers to implement sustainability on their farms.
This is an excerpt from the Winter Growers Solution (2021) written by Jim Halbeisen, Director of Research.
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