carbon footprint

Oregon State University has been awarded $50 million by the USDA to work with potato farmers to reduce their carbon footprint.  The Pacific Northwest accounts for roughly 60% of potatoes grown in the United States, and spuds are a $2 billion dollar crop locally in the Pacific Northwest but harvesting spuds creates a lot of soil disturbance.  OSU pro...

The USDA and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to continue working toward the dairy industry’s 2050 environmental stewardship goals.  The MOU also addresses growing consumer demand for food produced in a way that’s good for the planet.  The MOU also extend...

After Washington Governor Jay Inslee and senior Senator Patty Murray released a draft report on breaching the four lower Snake River Dams, Idaho Senator Jim Risch announced his opposition. “Not even two years ago, the federal government completed a comprehensive and scientific multi-year study of the lower Snake River dams. The ...

General Mills and Ecosystem Services Market Consortium Tuesday announced a multi-year roadmap to scale Eco-Harvest. The market program by ESMC recognizes and rewards farmers for beneficial environmental outcomes from regenerative agriculture ...

While there is a lot of talk about carbon markets for farmers, one expert says, "I wouldn't consider there to be a working market right now for carbon." Dr. Joe Outlaw, Texas A&M University economist, said there's a lot of inconsistency in the values and prices attached to the same exact farm practices with, sometimes, no clear explanation given for those prices. ...

A new report from the World Bank and the International Food Policy Research Institute looked into farm subsidies and overall farm policies. The report said that repurposing current agricultural public policies “could deliver multiple benefits for people, the planet, and the economy.” ...

When it comes to the topic of sustainability, the focus is a simple one for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. The NCBA’s Myriah Johnson said it comes down to three pillar areas: Environmental, Economic and Social. She said when it comes to sharing the message of sustainability, there is a lot of work that needs to be done, both with the producers and the consumers. “Wh ...

Renewable energy will once again be a top farm issue this year, as Congress and the Administration grapple with climate and sustainability needs. “We’re going to also focus on renewable energy; US biofuels play an important role.” The Am ...

McDonald's Corporation recently announced a commitment to achieve net-zero emissions across its global operations by 2050. The company is joining the United Nations Race to Zero campaign and signing on to the Science Based Targets initiative's Business Ambition for 1.5°C c ...

A new report shows agriculture can provide 10%-20% of the additional sequestration and emissions reductions needed for the nation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The report released by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology summarizes the different ways agriculture can provide mitigations to climate change and sequester carbon dioxide ...