By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy On the Climate Column, we have discussed many conservation practices, such as cover crops and stripcropping, that help farmers mitigate climate change, either by reducing emissions related to farming or by storing carbon in the soil. Many of these practices not only cut carbon emissions, but they … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy This week is Climate Week in New York City. Georgetown Climate Center invited me to represent National Farmers Union (NFU) to their Low-Carbon Transportation Policy Symposium, where I’ll discuss business opportunities in low-carbon transportation. Producers and rural communities will benefit from expanded use of biofuels … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy Farmers and ranchers are in a unique position to help address climate change. Using practices like conservation tillage and forage management, farmers can help the soil they work and plants they grow take greenhouse gasses out of the atmosphere, preventing them from interfering with the … Read More
By Matt Perdue, NFU Government Relations Representative Previous Climate Column posts have discussed how cover crops help farmers and ranchers adapt to and mitigate climate change. Planting cover crops can improve soil health and water quality, optimize water use, increase productivity, decrease input costs, and reduce carbon emissions. As cover crops grow in popularity, it’s crucial to … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy Producers face many severe challenges stemming from climate change. A 2013 report published by the U.S Department of Agriculture, Climate Change and Agriculture in the United States: Effects and Adaptation, estimates that “under climate change, losses to corn production in the United States from precipitation … Read More
By Adam Pauley, NFU Intern For the past several weeks on the Climate Column, we’ve noted that climate change is contributing to rising pest pressures. Frost-sensitive pests are living longer, and rising temperatures are opening new areas to infestation. Farmers are responding to this growing problem by adjusting their pest management strategies. However, some common ways … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy Climate change presents an enormous threat to farming and food security. A 2015 assessment report conducted by the U.S. Global Change Research Program noted that some models project the number of people at risk of undernourishment could grow by as many as 175 million by … Read More
By Adam Pauley, NFU Intern Here on the Climate Column, we’ve been talking about how milder winters due to climate change are contributing to greater pest pressures. Farmers are turning new agricultural methods to mitigate pests without exacerbating other environmental concerns. We’ve discussed a few methods already, including intercropping and crop rotation. Another option is integrated … Read More
By Adam Pauley, NFU Intern Last week on the Climate Column, we noted that milder winters caused by climate change are lengthening the lives of frost-sensitive pests, increasing pest pressure on farms. Farmers are implementing new practices to compete with more aggressive pests, but many of the common means of doing so can exacerbate other … Read More
By Adam Pauley, NFU Intern According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report Climate Change and Agriculture in the United States: Effects and Adaptation, temperatures in the next 40 years are expected to rise 1-2 degrees Celsius. This will increase pest pressure because insects that are frost sensitive will be able to survive milder winters. … Read More