Celebrating Earth Day over the past week brought discussions of the changing climate to the forefront; while The changing environment has major implications for the planet’s health as well as for agriculture. During a time when production must increase by 70 percent to feed the growing population, science and innovation will be at the forefront of developing agricultural systems that are both economical for farmers and sustainable for our planet.
Research in the critical areas that FFAR supports will help farmers produce more with less. Less water. Less waste. Less harmful impact. Our partnerships with the private sector, universities, the USDA and our nonprofit colleagues allow us to seek solutions that will help American farmers grow food to feed the world – for generations to come.
At FFAR we actively seek research that will yield results that improve farming practices for producers and the environment. FFAR invested $2.2 million in the National Cover Crop Initiative, a collaborative effort to investigate the use of cover crops. Farmers can use cover crops to protect fields against soil erosion, reduce the need for pesticides and herbicides and protect surrounding water quality – a win-win for farmers and the Earth.
Dr. Isaya Kisekka, one of our 2016 New Innovators in Food and Agriculture Research, is using FFAR funding to integrate data on agricultural water use to create more efficient irrigation. Farmers will be able to adopt these water conservation practices to protect Earth’s resources.
Our Pollinator Health Fund aims to address declining pollinator health. Bees and other pollinators are an essential part of the environment, plus they are vital to farming in the U.S. Pollinator health research projects funded by FFAR will help protect ecosystems and biodiversity.
On this special day of appreciation for Mother Earth, we also celebrate the role of research in protecting our planet. Thank you to the farmers and researchers working with us towards a sustainable future for agriculture.