National Corn Growers Association 632 Cepi Drive Chesterfield, MO 63005

www.ncga.com

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
At the National Corn Growers Association, we understand the importance of agricultural sustainability for todays consumers and our industry. Corn farmers work hard to be good stewards of the land and environment. New technologies and farming practices have made us even better and allow us to continually produce more corn on less farm land with less impact on the environment. Were committed to continuous improvement in all we do.

Founded in 1957, the National Corn Growers Association represents more than 36,000 dues-paying corn farmers nationwide and the interests of more than 300,000 growers who contribute through corn checkoff programs in their states. NCGA and its 48 affiliated state associations and checkoff organizations work together to create and increase opportunities for their members and their industry.

www.ncga.com

What is Sustainability?
The federal government definition for sustainable agriculture means an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will, over the long term: satisfy human food and fiber needs; enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends; make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls; sustain the economic viability of farm operations; and enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.1 A broader definition of sustainability maintains this focus on the future: meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.2 Our nations corn farmers, like most of their peers in agriculture, view their vocation as one shared with their families, with farms that very often are passed down from generation to generation. This means something very special when it comes to sustainability and agriculture it means that growers have a special, personal incentive to care for their land and water, because it impacts their very families. So far, the study has revealed the following improvements between 1987 and 2007: the amount of land needed to produce one bushel of corn has decreased 37 percent soil loss per bushel of corn has decreased 69 percent the energy used to produce a bushel of corn has decreased 37 percent corn production has seen a 30 percent decrease in Greenhouse Gas emissions per bushel In addition, Field to Market is committed to creating opportunities across the agricultural supply chain for continuous improvements in productivity, environmental quality and human well-being. In doing so, Field to Market has a new tool designed to help farmers begin to look at how crop production operations impact the sustainability of their farm for corn, cotton, rice and soybeans. The Fieldprint Calculator examines natural resources such as land, topsoil, water use, water efficiency, and key crop production inputs such as energy, plant nutrients and crop protection products. Information provided to growers is private and secure, and helps them improve what they do. For more information, visit www.FieldToMarket.org.

Importance of High Yields

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that the worlds population will increase to 9 billion by 2050, and states that Some 80 percent of future increases in crop production in developing countries will have to come from intensification.4 An important part of increasing our food supply involves finding and promoting more ways to produce even more food per acre. The potential is certainly there when it comes to corn. With increasing yields in agricultural production, we have avoided clearing additional acres of land that would have been required to produce the same amount of food. The impact of these higher yields is so significant that weve helped curb greenhouse gases equal to a third of the total emissions since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in 1850. No industry can claim to have done more. What does this mean for the environment? A 2010 study5 from Stanford University says that advances in high-yield agriculture have prevented massive amounts of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere the equivalent of 590 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide. For every dollar spent on agricultural research and development since 1961, emissions of the three principal greenhouse gases were reduced by the equivalent of about a quarter of a ton of carbon dioxide. And yield intensification has lessened the pressure to clear land and reduced emissions by up to 13 billion tons of carbon dioxide a year. The Stanford scientists conclude: Improvement of crop yields should therefore be prominent among a portfolio of strategies to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.

Field to Market
The National Corn Growers Association is taking a leadership role to define, measure and promote sustainability in the agriculture industry through its work in Field to Market, the Keystone Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture. Field to Market is a diverse initiative that joins producers, agribusinesses, food companies, conservation organizations, and university and agency partners seeking to create sustainable outcomes for agriculture. In January 2009, Field to Market released its first report3 studying the impacts of four crops (corn, wheat, soybeans and cotton) in five areas: land use, soil loss, climate impact, irrigation water use and energy use.
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References
http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/agnic/susag.shtml http://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/42/ares42-187.htm http://keystone.org/files/file/SPP/environment/field-to-market/Field-to-Market_Environmental-Indicator_First_Report_01092009.Ex.Summary.pdf http://www.fao.org/docrep/004/y3557e/y3557e03.htm http://news.stanford.edu/news/2010/june/agriculture-global-warming-061410.html