WSU scientist on panel calling for transformation of U.S. agriculture

Washington Ag Today July 4, 2011 A group of leading scientists, economists and farmers is calling for a broad shift in federal policies to speed the development of farm practices that are more economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable.

Writing in the journal Science, they say current policies focus on the production of a few crops and a minority of farmers while failing to address farming’s contribution to global warming, biodiversity loss, natural resource degradation, and public health problems. John Reganold, a Washington State University soil scientist and the Science paper’s lead author, says “agro ecology” adapts the principles of nature to farming systems.

Reganold: “If we had more farmers practicing agriculture in this way we would move towards sustainability quicker. Now to get there we can actually change policies, we can change our markets and in some cases our science too. It is really right now though as much of a market and policy issue as it is a science and technology issue.”

The Science paper is particularly critical of the Farm Bill, which is slated for renewal next year, pointing out that only one-third of farmers receive payments under the bill but it has an outsized influence on production. Reganold asks why don’t we support innovative farming systems of all sizes that produce food sustainably?

I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on Northwest Aginfo Net.