Rabobank Ag Survey Shows Sustainable Farming High In US

A survey by agricultural finance solutions provider and global financial services leader Rabobank found that nearly 70% of the US farmers and ranchers surveyed have taken steps toward implementing sustainable agricultural practices, PRNewswire reports. Rabobank’s Farm & Ranch Survey revealed that three out of every four US farmers are aware of sustainable practices, and most have used direct seeding, minimized the use of chemicals, or employed crop rotation.

“Sustainability is an increasing priority among consumers as well as for many areas of industry and commerce, and this survey shows that US farmers and ranchers share that view,” said John Ryan, president and CEO for Rabo AgriFinance. “Sustainable agricultural practices are the cornerstone of long-term strategy for success.”

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In the North Central and South regions, higher-revenue farms (more than US $1 million annually) have taken steps toward sustainable agriculture (North Central: 89% vs. 67% of lower-revenue farms; South: 97% vs. 65% lower-revenue farms). Direct seeding is also more prevalent in the South and North Central (64% and 61% respectively vs. 44% in the West) and among large acreage farms (75% for 1,000 acres or more vs. 52% for less than 1,000 acres). Reduction of energy use is more prevalent in the West (45%) compared to North Central (29%).

The study was conducted to gauge farmers’ confidence among target farming regions in the US. An independent survey company conducted 458 computer-assisted telephone interviews from Feb. 2-11, 2009. The survey targeted farmers who own or operate a farm grossing $250,000 or more in one of three US census regions: Midwest, South, and West. A baseline survey conducted in 2008 was used as comparison for this survey.

 

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