Wes Jackson, President, The Land Institute, Salina, Kansas

Protecting our soil with perennials: national acreage goals

Five-year farm bills address:

Exports Commodities Subsidies Some soil conservation measures• Food programs

A 50-Year Farm Bill would be a program using 5-year

farm bills as mileposts, adding larger, more

sustainable end goals to existing programs

Protect soil from erosionCut fossil fuel dependence to zeroSequester carbonReduce toxics in soil and waterManage nitrogen carefullyReduce dead zonesCut wasteful water usePreserve or rebuild farm communities

50-Year Farm Bill

Five-year farm bills:

Exports Commodities Subsidies Some soil

conservation measures

Food programs

50-Year Farm Bill:

• Protect soil from erosion• Cut fossil fuel

dependence to zero• Sequester carbon• Reduce toxics in soil and

water• Manage nitrogen carefully• Reduce dead zones• Cut wasteful water use• Preserve or rebuild farm

communities

Erosion in IowaIowa cornfield, June 2008

Flint Hills PrairieKansas Native Prairie, June 2008

Changes in USDA program prioritiesto increase the productive lifespan of US cropland

Conclusion:

Production at the expense of conservation

OR

Conservation at the expense of production.

Erosion in IowaIowa cornfield, June 2008

Conclusion:

Conservation as the consequence of production

is possible

Flint Hills PrairieKansas Native Prairie, June 2008

THE LAND INSTITUTE

SALINA, KANSASwww.landinstitute.org