changes in agriculture: how can agrability keep pace

Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service

http://www.csrees.usda.gov

Changes in Agriculture: How can AgrAbility Keep Pace

Brad Rein, PEDirector

Processing, Engineering and TechnologyUSDA Cooperative State Research Education

and Extension Service

Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Servicehttp://www.csrees.usda.gov

• The Bio-energy Economy• Animal Agriculture• Specialty Crops• Farm Structure, Finance &

Technology • Implications for AgrAbility

Presentation Outline


EnergyConservation

ReauthorizationAct

Carter Reagan Bush 41 Clinton Bush 43

LoanGuaranteesFor Alcohol

Plants

Biomass R&DAct

Farm Bill

TaxRelief

ExtensionAct

Intermodal Surface

TransportationAct

Clean Air Act Amend.& Pollution

Prevention Act

EnergyPolicy

ActEPACT

Tax ReformAct

Gramm RudmanHollings Act

PublicUtility

RegulatoryPolicy

Act&

EnergyTax Act

DeficitReduction

Act

TransportationEquity Act For the

21st Century

Energy Security Act &

Crude Oil Windfall Profits

Tax Act

Renewable Energy

Production Incentive (REPI)

American Jobs

Creation Act of 2004

Biobased Products - Included Forest Products and Agriculture (Interior)Energy from Municipal Waste - EMW (Interior & EWD)

Alcohol Fuels R&D & Market Development

Biomass, Biofuels, Biopower, Bioenergy (EWD)

The Up and Down Support For Biomass


Rate of Use

FranceS. KoreaBrazilCanadaIndiaRussiaGermanyChina

U.S.Japan

Mexico

0% 10% 15% 20%5% 25%

Oil Reserves

U.S.NigeriaLibyaRussiaVenezuelaU.A.E.KuwaitIraqIranCanadaSaudi Arabia

2%2%

3%5%

6%8%8%

9%10%

14%21%

U.S. Dependence on Foreign OilUpdated July 2005. Source: International Energy Annual 2003 (EIA), Tables 1.2 and 8.1-O&GJ. Canada’s reserves include tar sands.

The United States uses more oil than the next five highest-consuming nations combined.

3%3%3%3%3%3%3%

7%

25%7%

3%


President George W. Bush –2006 State of the Union Address

• Keeping America competitive requires affordable energy. And here we have a serious problem:

• "America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world."

• "The best way to break this addiction is through technology.”

• …. and we are on the threshold of incredible advances…

• “…. replace more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025.” Capitol,

Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2006White House photo by Eric Draper

“By applying the talent and technology of America, this country can dramatically improve our environment, move beyond a petroleum-based economy, and make our dependence on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past.”



MUCH INTEREST - - - - MANY GOALSHAVE WE ONLY JUST BEGUN?


USDA projections of corn use for ethanol have risen dramatically

Crop year

Billion bushels

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

2000/01 2005/06 2010/11 2015/16

Pre-RFS 2005

RFS 2006

RFS + Oil Prices 2007

USDA-REE Energy Science and Education Programs - ERS

RFS - Renewable Fuels Program, Energy Policy Act of 2005


The U.S. ethanol sector is adding over 6 billion gallons to its capacity

ENERGY AND AGRICULTURE

Changes in distribution and transportation of raw materials and products


Future Directions ?


Future Directions ?

How will new crop production systems impact accommodating disability in agriculture?


Source: Miranowski, John, “Energy Consumption in U.S. Agriculture,” Proceedings – Agriculture as a Producer and Consumer of Energy Conference, Arlington, VA, June 24-25, 2004. Sponsored by Farm Foundation.

Fertilizers28%

Diesel27%

Electricity21%

Natural Gas4%

Gasoline9%

Pesticides6%

LP Gas5%

ENERGY AND AGRICULTURE

In 2004 “no till” farming reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 10mil tons = to 20% of cars Source: Monsanto

Does reduction in fuel equate with reduction of exposure to farm equipment injuries?


Animal Agriculture

http://www.usda.gov/oc/photo/95c6917.jpg


Source: USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum, March 2007


Projected Growth in Meat Consumption (mt) 2004-2014

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Canada Brazil China Russia

Mill

ions

of t

ons

Series1

Source: OECD-FAO

Demand for animal protein depends primarily on income and population growth


Future of US Animal Agriculture

• Growth– $99Billion Ag. sector increasing $1Billion/yr

• Scale– Increasing in size & concentration– Advantage in needs of processors

• Location– Processors (urban to rural) close to producers

• 85% beef, pork, chicken 400+ employees

Source: The Future of Animal Agriculture in North America: A Farm Foundation Project


Future of US Animal AgricultureChallenges and Issues

• Consumer Demand– Food safety, quality, animal welfare

• Global Competitiveness and Trade– Perceived vs real risks

• Environmental Issues– Byproducts, air & water quality

• Community and Labor Issues– More dangerous lower pay than manufacturing – Rely on immigrant labor

Source: The Future of Animal Agriculture in North America: A Farm Foundation Project


Co-location of Animal Agriculture and Bio-fuels Industries

• Integrated system– Energy from methane cogeneration– Dried distillers grains for feed

• Adds to rural infrastructure – Not just the mid-west


Specialty Crops

The U.S. specialty crop industry is comprised of producers and handlers of fruits, tree nuts,

vegetables, melons, potatoes and nursery crops, including

floriculture.


. Specialty crop production as a percentage of total agricultural production by county.


Specialty Crops• 2.9% of harvested cropland• 40% of value of all harvested

cropland • $50B in 2004• Highest labor cost (40-60%)• Intense global competition• Homeland Security/Immigration

reform


Specialty Crop Research Initiative

• Proposed by USDA Secretary in 2007 Farm Bill– Improve crop

characteristics – Identify invasive species– Optimize production

efficiency– Develop new

mechanization technologies


Farm Structure, Finance & Technology


Source: USDA-OCE 2007 Agricultural Outlook Forum, March 2007


Source: USDA-OCE Agricultural Outlook Forum, March 2007


America’s Diverse Family Farms• Small family farms (<$250,000)

– Limited Resource– Retirement– Residential/Lifestyle– Farming-occupation/low sales (< $100k)– Farming-occupation/high sales (> $100k)

• Large- family (<$500k)• Very large family (>$500k)• Non-family farm


ERS Family Farm Report 2007

• Large, very large and non-family account for 75% of production

• 90% of farms are small family farms and account for 61% of land owned by farmers

• Small farms have 82% of the land enrolled in CRP and WRP


ERS Family Farm Report 2007• Most rapid growth is farms with sales of

$1mil. or more accounting for 48% of sales in 2002 compared to 23% of sales in 1982

• Small farm households rely on off farm income

• Few small farms use production and marketing contracts while 64% of very large family farms use contracts and as a group produce 61% of production grown under contract


Farm households with higher off-farm income are more likely to adopt farm technologies that economize on management time than those that are time intensive.

Adoption of time-saving technologies, such as herbicide-tolerant (HT) soybeans, is associated with higher off-farm incomes

Adoption of time-intensive technologies such as integrated pest management is more closely associated with lower off-farm incomes

Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Off Farm Income, Technology Adoption, and Farm Economic Performance, Jorge Fernandez-Cornejo


Technology

• Ergonomics– UC-Davis

Agricultural Ergonomics Research Center

• Autonomous vehicles– Carnegie-Mellon

Robotics InstituteAutonomous Mower-Conditioner

Carnegie-Mellon Robotics Institute



Implications for AgrAbility



AgrAbility VISION

Enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities in

agriculture in a rapidly changing agricultural economy


Working together to create a stronger organization

Cognizant of roles and responsibilities of partnership


Role/Responsibilities of the National Project

• Provide limited, on-demand type services in areas without a state project

• Produce and/or recommend educational materials, networking strategies, assistance protocols, and marketing products for state project adoption and use

• Moderate information-sharing forums• Identify, promote, and address opportunities and

challenges for AgrAbility• Evaluate the program’s impacts annually---this is

where demographic and other data collection falls into place.


Role/Responsibilities of the State Projects • Operate within a defined geographic area• Complete project objectives under three

overarching priority areas• Partner with a non-profit disability

organization• Participate in National Project-initiated

efforts to collect activity data• Submit annual and final reports to

CSREES• Effectively serve the qualifying population


Role/Responsibilities of CSREES • Provide program oversight to the National

Project and the State Projects• Ensure that federal dollars are spent and

managed appropriately• Ensure fair and objective review of

proposals• Communicate program successes and

impacts to USDA and Congress via program and OMB portfolio reviews


Summary & Recommendations• Current and future trends in

agricultural production systems can have either positive or negative impacts on people with disabilities in agricultural.– New jobs? New hazards?

•Be at the table in identifying priority research, education and accommodation needs

• Identify opportunities for resource sharing• Acknowledge challenges and prioritize resources

changes in agriculture: how can agrability keep pace

Documents

extension servicehttp

education programs ersrfs

affordable energy

rfs oil prices

technology of america

oil imports

middle eastern oil

energy policy act