From consumer packaged goods (CPGs) and carbon-conscious conglomerates to even the Vatican, who hosted a ‘Climate Resilience” conference in May of this year, sustainability’s hold on economic, environmental, and societal discussions is tight. The drive to crack this sustainability nut has been spilling over into modern agriculture for years now as methane from cattle has shown to be a contributor to the current challenge. But, being ‘‘part of the conversation’ only holds up for so long before actions are necessary for producers to not only see their rightful dues but also continue their farm business and way of life.

“This isn’t a new deal - there have been decades of research in this area,” shares Dr. John Goeser, Animal Nutrition, Research and Innovation Director Rock River Laboratory. His credentials include Technical Service Provider (TSP) - for feed management planning. This fairly new US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) certification allows those who obtain it - of which only about a half dozen have currently made the summit - to write conservation practice standard 592 plans for feed management. The purpose of such plans is to alleviate resource and conservation concerns with water and air quality that may be brought on by what is fed to livestock and poultry.  

But before we all get throttled by green vocabulary, what is sustainability in modern agriculture - beyond the cover crops and soil health that inundate ag media?

The key players

“All the buzzwords have been around greenhouse gasses and carbon accounting, but we can’t forget to be accounting for nitrogen and phosphorus as well as carbon,”  Goeser says. Zeroing in on carbon, he explains that a farm’s carbon footprint is a function of manure, soil, trees, the feeding program, and anything else that contributes to the cycle. 

Ten years ago, sustainability rumblings were occurring around modern agriculture, but since then, an eruption of all things sustainability – from farmer-led groups to grant programs to focused conferences – have become the new norm as global warming and climate change have become lightning rod issues for our society. 

“Methane is an 80 times more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide (CO2),” Goeser says. “While there is less methane relative to CO2, it traps much more heat.” 

While methane has a shorter shelf life than CO2, enteric methane and manure continue to lead the discussion in the livestock conference spaces.

Shifting to overdrive

Agriculture has profoundly adopted the sustainability clause - partly voluntarily and partly as requirements tighten in the green space. “Producers are increasingly exploring different opportunities associated with adopting new sustainability practices to generate additional revenue for their farms,” Goeser says. 

He shares that currently, several established feed additives are on the market for mitigating enteric methane. “The vendors are partnering with different groups to offer carbon accounting solutions, which could be thought of as an online banking platform. Ideally, a producer could log in and view your farm’s carbon and CO2 equivalent footprint, and view estimates of what is saved with the help of said feed additive.” The dream is that this would then allow producers to sell what is ‘saved’ as a non-fungible asset (NFA).

“Farms can capitalize on adopting a feed additive or practice, however, the marketing opportunities are evolving at a rapid pace. There isn’t a single established market for this like the stock market,” Goeser says. “Clients may include CPG organizations who have made stated goals to reduce or eliminate their carbon footprint.” 

Such companies are willing to compensate producers that adopt practices that are established and documented, to decrease enteric methane emissions, but currently, there isn’t a single streamlined or well-accepted path to get this done. The opportunities and paths are evolving quickly.

Where to start?

One way for producers to start is to conduct a greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory assessment - determining the farm's GHG and carbon footprint. A number of farm-specific carbon accounting software applications exist to help determine this. Currently, Farm Environmental Stewardship (ES), Cool Farm Tool, and COMET-Farm are being used commercially.

Those who utilize these options must be confident in entering the key inputs and levers that can be pulled, to be as accurate and realistic as possible in establishing the baseline.

“Without a strong financial incentive, it’s hard to envision dairy and feedlot owners and managers by en large jumping into specific sustainability-linked management decisions and practices,” Goeser says. “Venturing into this area requires a time commitment, and the producers’ time is increasingly valuable. Understanding programs, contract details, and options within the sustainability initiatives are necessary as the waters are muddy.”

Still, Goeser suggests looking to reputable groups and associations who are doing work to make inroads within the Wild West that is ag sustainability. “Professional Dairy Producers’ (PDP) initiative, Dairy Business Association’s (DBA) work, and numerous other producer-led agriculture groups are laying the groundwork for producers to learn and grow in this space where clarity is much needed.”

Goeser advises producers to self-educate where they can – with the help of research and familiarizing themselves with the terminology. “Exploring opportunities that may exist for a farm is easier when they know the jargon within contracts.” He recommends learning more from long-time industry publications and trade organizations with trusted editors and leadership that leans on research.

Professional industry organizations can also be a valuable resource within the sustainability space. “Check out conferences that focus on carbon and sustainability, and if you can’t attend, find the proceedings,” Goeser encourages. “Stay attentive and check out producer-facing conferences to learn from the program and from peers.”

While the murky waters of sustainability may have entered a highly read new chapter, actions will always speak louder than words and a ‘spot at the table’. As farms, feedlots, and their constituents work to contribute to the overall efforts to stay viable and reap potential benefits, education should be a key tactic moving forward. Leaning on experts within the field who have agriculture’s best interests in mind will also help guide what sustainable practices should look like and how to implement them - at least until a more streamlined, centralized market can offer stability to ag sustainability as we know it.