Feature Article: Education is Key to Sustainable Agriculture Adoption: New Poll Results

Forwarded by Dr. Bill Wilcke, Dept. Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108

Over 50% of all large conventional farmers have considered sustainable alternatives. But over a third say they don't know how.

A sizable number of American farmers are looking for sustainable alternatives to high-input farming - the type of farming that features heavy use of pesticides and commercial fertilizer to get the most short-term output from the soil.

The Trends in Ag 2000 study found that almost one-fourth (23%) of all U.S. farmers say they use sustainable farming as their primary production system. And, over half (52%) of all conventional farmers say that they have considered using sustainable practices. The study was conducted for APA by The Gallup Organization, and was co-sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation with assistance from the Alpha Zeta Foundation. The national poll surveyed 1,218 farmers and ranchers with large operations in the summer of 2000.

In addition to measuring farmer adoption of sustainable agriculture, the survey also sought to identify barriers keeping more farmers from adopting sustainable farm practices. Farmers greatest (89%) concern was that sustainable farming practices would reduce their yields and profits, followed by "don't know how to do it" (36%), and "landlord won't allow" (17%).

The poll found that producers of tree crops were significantly more likely (33%) to primarily use sustainable agriculture than any other crop producer types, while wheat/hay producers (22%) were significantly more likely to than corn, soybean and cotton farmers (17%) and vegetable producers (10%).

On the animal producer side, the poll found that beef producers (28%) were significantly more likely to primarily use sustainable agriculture than dairy farmers (20%) or hog producers (23%).

The APA is the association of leading agricultural media. A more detailed look at the Trends in Ag 2000 study results can be found at the web site: http://www.agmedia.org

For more information about Sustainable Agriculture in Minnesota, contact: Dr. Bill Wilcke (wilck001@umn.edu) of the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA), or check the MISA web site: http://www.misa.umn.edu/Other/about.html

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Co-Editors: Bill Hutchison, Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, hutch002@tc.umn.edu
Jeanne Ciborowski, IPM Program, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, jeanne.ciborowski@state.mn.us
Cindy Tong, Department of Horticulture, University of Minnesota, c-tong@tc.umn.edu
Production Editor: Suzanne Wold, Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, woldx018@tc.umn.edu

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Last Revised May 21, 2001.
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