Don't leave corn out of Earth Day dialogue

It seems as though Earth Day comes and goes each year with great dialogue about how various corners of society are taking steps forward in environmental stewardship, but without any acknowledgement of the corn producer’s role in that progress.

Corn producers absolutely belong at the table of these discussions and have much to be proud of, in that they — along with the rest of agriculture — are continually meeting the world’s demands for more food, fuel and fiber and yet are always discovering new and more sustainable methods of doing it.

Some of the great work my fellow farmers have accomplished is highlighted in a number of comprehensive studies, such as the 2012 Field to Market Report. It revealed that while U.S. farmers increased bushels per acre (yields) by 64 percent from 1980 to 2011, during that same time span, land use per bushel decreased by 30 percent, energy use per bushel fell 44 percent, water use per bushel dropped 53 percent, soil erosion per bushel went down 67 percent, and greenhouse gas emissions per bushel decreased 36 percent.

Additionally, numerous studies show decreases in other inputs, such as usage of many pesticides, in recent years.

Going beyond what the corn farmer is doing, I want to also emphasize what’s brought to the table environmentally by one of the two biggest users of corn — ethanol.
 

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