Yet, industrialized agricultural practices that do not prioritize conservation and rely on self-perpetuating cycles of chemical inputs and intensive soil disturbance have negatively impacted human health and the long-term security of our local, regional, and national food systems.
Much of the country’s most fertile topsoil continues to be lost to erosion—scientists estimate that more than a third of the nation’s Corn Belt has lost its topsoil completely—threatening food security. Agricultural runoff is one of the top sources of water sediment pollution and chemical contamination across the U.S. The indiscriminate use of antibiotics among industrial crop and livestock operations are connected to a growing trend of antibiotic resistance among humans.
Sustainable and regenerative farming practices have the power to reverse these trends. We work to not only help farmers transition to production methods that protect public health through education and training, we also evaluate whether existing production methods are effectively meeting farmers’ conservation goals through farm-based research.
