A previous article opened a discussion on the general challenges with regulating agriculture; this article continues that discussion along with the focus on water quality issues and nutrient losses. Both the farmer and the regulator stand in a similar position: the farmer prefers not to lose nutrients from the fields where they are intended to […]
Archive | Environment
Evaluating Use of Conservation Policies for Pollinators
One of the suspected culprits in pollinator decline is the loss of the amount and diversity of forage habitat. This decline not only affects managed honey bees, but includes other pollinators, such as butterflies and moths. Wild bumblebees, for example, are crucial for pollinating some plants and who not only face declines in habitat but […]
Managing Environmental Uncertainty Created by Global Warming
Scientists agree: the Earth is warming. Efforts are under way to cut greenhouse gas emissions and hence reduce the warming that occurs in the next hundred years. However, some warming is likely to occur even with major policy changes and greenhouse gas reductions. Overall, this means that average temperatures will increase, oceans will rise, damaging […]
Exploring Environmental Regulation of Agriculture
Recently the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grabbed attention when it attempted to clarify the Clean Water Act by defining the term “waters of the United States.” Many in agriculture have raised concerns about the definition and how it would impact farming and property owners, adding a new chapter to the long-running debate regarding environmental […]
The Current State of Bees
June 16-22 is National Pollinator Week! Bees are a valuable asset to modern agricultural systems pollinating approximately one third of the crops in our diets. The value added to the agricultural system by insect pollination, mainly from bees, was estimated to be US$190 billion in 2005 worldwide or about 9.5% of total agricultural production. For […]