Climate Report Spurs Calls for Diversity in Ag Production
Tuesday, March 1, 2022
After last year's extreme drought in states such as North Dakota, a new United Nations report found it will be harder to adapt to future effects without urgent action, which is prompting renewed calls for agriculture to be more flexible, along with helpful policy.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said added stress on agriculture systems will lead to more food scarcity around the world, especially for vulnerable populations.
Ben Lilliston, director of rural strategies and climate change at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, said the findings serve as a reminder for farmers to make their operations more resilient. One way is to diversify what they grow on their land.
"Your financial adviser will tell you, diversity your investments, your portfolio," Lilliston pointed out. "It's, I think, the same thing for agriculture and the food system, is growing a single crop or producing a single animal makes you more vulnerable to disruption."
He noted the approach can help with soil health while reducing harmful pests. Researchers say it also can mean less reliance on synthetic fertilizers, which contribute to global emissions.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently added a new funding program for conservation practices, but the Institute said producers still face a lot of barriers in accessing support.
Lilliston pointed out long-standing conservation programs focused on a cost-share approach often leave farmers out because of high demand. He noted improved infrastructure will help producers diversify their output, pointing to new federal investments to create more smaller-scale meat processors, to give ranchers more options to sell their product at a better price.
"But we need it not just for meat processing," Lilliston contended. "For different types of row crops, fruits and vegetables and so forth."
At one point last year, roughly 58% of North Dakota was in extreme drought, creating stress for farmers and ranchers. Conditions have somewhat eased, however; more than three quarters of the state range from abnormally dry to extreme drought, according to the latest map.
Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.
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