Sustainable Agriculture and Energy: Connecting the Dots Mike Morris National Center for Appropriate Technology Southern SARE PDP Coordinator Training Lexington,

Sustainable Agriculture and Energy: Connecting the Dots

Mike MorrisNational Center for Appropriate Technology

Southern SARE PDP Coordinator TrainingLexington, Kentucky

August 19, 2008

About the National Center for Appropriate Technology (www.ncat.org)

• National nonprofit organization headquartered in Butte, Montana, regional offices in AR, CA, IA, LA, PA.

• Programs: sustainable agriculture and sustainable energy.

• 60 employees: 20 ag specialists, 7 energy engineers, about a dozen writers, web and database designers.

• Hands-on experience with all kinds of renewable energy technologies and energy conservation programs.

• Since 1987 NCAT has run ATTRA: the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.

ATTRA provides free research, >300 free publications

National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service

• Funded by USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service.

• www.attra.org or toll-free 800-346-9140

New area in the ATTRA website: www.attra.org/energy

A new search tool: www.attra.org/farmenergysearchtool

• New energy-related ATTRA publications.

• Building ATTRA staff capacity to handle energy-related questions.

• Workshops for producers in all parts of the country.

• Small grant program for producers in Montana: oilseeds, small-scale biodiesel production.

• Farm energy audits and energy studies to build capacity of land-based agricultural organizations.

• Research (funded by USDA Risk Management Agency) on farm energy audits and web-based farm energy calculators.

Other highlights:

1. Energy-related changes ahead for agriculture.

2. Great need for energy-related technical assistance.

3. Much of this assistance will need to be local, grassroots.

Assumptions

End of cheap fossil

fuels

Food vs. fuel

Climate change

World population

growth

Emerging carbon markets

Energy supply

disruptions?New USDA programs

Bioenergy opportunities

Wind, solar, other

renewable energy

opportunities

DOE?

Local gov’t?

Land Grant universities?

SARE?

ATTRA?

Agricultural trade groups?

Local Extension offices?

Environmental orgs?

NRCS?

?

• Fully including goals and values of sustainability• Building on existing infrastructure and networks

EPA?

Utilities?

For-profit companies

(e.g equipment dealers)?

The Internet?

State energy agencies?

New regional partnerships?

Challenge: Deliver locally-based energy information to rural America:

Sustainable ag advocacy groups?

US food system: 10-17% of energy consumption.

agricultural production1% - 3%

food system10% - 17%

Source: John Hendrickson, 1996. Energy Use in the U.S. Food System: a Summary of Existing Research and Analysis. Madison, WI: Univ. of Wisconsin, Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems.

Treat all energy stats with caution.

Farmers aren’t to blame.

Better farming practices will do little to reduce US energy usage.

Total US energy consumption

Home Refrigeration &

Preparation

31%

Agricultural Production

21%

Transportation

14%

Processing

16%

Restaurants7%

Food Retail 4%

Packaging 7%

Source: M.C. Heller, G.A. Keoleian. Assessing the sustainability of the US food system: a life cycle perspective, Agricultural Systems, 76, (2003) 1007-1041.

Energy usage in the US food system (Btu): mostly for marketing and food preparation.

“Food miles” are important but

over-emphasized?

US food expenditures: mostly for marketing too.

Source: USDA National Commission on Small Farms, Jan. 1998

How energy is used in US agriculture (Btu).

Source: John Miranowski, Energy Consumption in US Agriculture. In Agriculture as a Producer and Consumer of Energy, CABI Publishing, 2005.

Fertilizer

Production

29%

Herbicide/Pesticide

Production 6%

Irrigation 7%

Diesel Fuel

(Non-Irrigation)

25%

Gasoline 9%

Natural Gas(Non-Irrigation)

1%

Liquid Petroleum Gas 5%

Electricity (Non-Irrigation)

18%

Note the importance of fertilizer and other “indirect” energy inputs.

US agriculture and greenhouse gases

• Agriculture releases about 8% of US greenhouse gases (weighted for impact on global warming).

• US agriculture releases about 80% of nitrous oxide and 30% of methane.

Generally, farms have a limited ability to reduce US energy consumption or greenhouse gas emissions, and a much greater potential to sequester carbon and generate renewable energy.

Source: Keith Paustian et al, “Agriculture’s Role in Greenhouse Gas Mitigation.” Pew Center on Global Climate Change, 2006.

Source: USDA Economic Research Service

6.0

5.0

4.0

3.0

2.0

1.0Total # US farms (millions)

Energy used per unit of farm output (1996 = 1.0)

The good news: US farms have doubled their energy efficiency since the 1970s.

The bad news: most of these highly efficient farms went broke.

(Through diesel engines, efficient tillage practices, crop-drying, irrigation, etc.)

Energy cost: ~ 15% of farm production expenses overall.

Source: John Miranowski, Energy Consumption in US Agriculture. In Agriculture as a Producer and Consumer of Energy, CABI Publishing, 2005.

For most crops and regions, energy is a modest fraction of production costs. Crop yield and quality drive decisions.

Direct energy cost per dollar of output varies by crop.

Source: John Miranowski, Energy Consumption in US Agriculture. In Agriculture as a Producer and Consumer of Energy, CABI Publishing, 2005.

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

4.50

5.00

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Bil

lio

n 2

002

Do

llar

s

Lake States Corn Belt

Northern Plains Southern Plains

Pacific

Direct energy cost per dollar of output varies by region.

Source: National Agricultural Statistics Service (2003).

Among livestock operations, poultry farms are especially vulnerable.

Source: National Agricultural Statistics Service (2003).

Does organic farming use less energy?

1. Sometimes yes. Maybe often. We don’t know.‡

2. The Final Rule of the National Organic Program includes no restrictions on energy usage.

‡Source: David Granatstein, “Does Organic Farming Use Less Energy?”(2008). May be downloaded from http://www.aceee.org/conf/08ag/agenda.htm.

Do local food systems use less energy?

1. Sometimes yes. Maybe often. We don’t know.‡

2. Counterexamples are being used to discredit the sustainable agriculture movement.

3. There are real economies of scale in industrial agriculture.

‡Rich Pirog et al, Food, Fuel, and Freeways (2001). May be downloaded fromhttp://www.leopold.iastate.edu/pubs/staff/ppp/index.htm

Sustainable agriculture and energy: a few suggestions

1. DON’T lean too heavily on the idea that there is a “farm energy crisis.”

2. DON’T perpetuate the myth that efficiency is the key to farm prosperity.

3. DON’T be surprised to find lukewarm reactions from producers to energy efficiency campaigns.

4. DON’T over-sell sustainable agriculture (including organic farming and local food systems) as a quick fix for energy or climate problems.

5. DON’T be negative and obstructionist. As advocates for sustainability, we must publicly support conservation and renewable energy.

Suggestions (continued)

1. DO take a long-term perspective: champion farming practices that can be sustained indefinitely, even if fossil fuels become scarce or expensive.

2. DO use this “teachable moment” to promote reduced nitrogen fertilizer usage and other sustainable practices.

3. DO start viewing energy and fossil fuels as no less important than soil or water to sustainability.

4. Do support SARE’s energy-related efforts.

5. DO support the Energy Title of the Farm Bill (especially REAP).

• Section 9006 Program (2002 Farm Bill) is now REAP, the Rural Energy for America Program.

• USDA grant and loan program: Install renewable energy systems or make energy efficiency improvements.

• All rural small businesses are eligible – not just farms.

•Funding has more than doubled from $115 million (2002) to $225 million (2008).

• Grants – up to 25% of eligible project costs

• Guaranteed loans – up to 50% of eligible project costs.

Key Points about REAP

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Total

Alabama 0 1 0 2 0 3

Arkansas 0 0 0 0 1 1

Florida 0 0 0 1 0 1

Georgia 0 0 1 0 3 4

Iowa 9 7 37 51 55 159

Kentucky 0 0 0 0 0 0

Louisiana 0 0 1 0 1 2

Minnesota 22 25 18 32 21 118

Mississippi 5 42 3 21 26 97

Nebraska 6 15 37 151 102 311

North Carolina 1 0 3 1 18 23

Oklahoma 0 10 4 7 0 21

Puerto Rico 0 0 0 0 0 0

South Carolina 1 0 1 4 1 7

Tennessee 0 0 1 5 1 7

Texas 2 1 0 0 2 5

Virginia 1 2 0 0 2 5

Virgin Islands 0 0 0 0 0 0

Successful Proposals to 9006/REAP• Take an interest in REAP in your state. (Info at www.farmenergy.org.)

• Get to know your state contact person (USDA Rural Development).

Energy Audits and REAP

• Energy audit required for large energy efficiency projects (total project cost > $200,000).

• Finding a qualified person who will do an energy audit is challenging (to say the least) in most rural areas.

• Perfectly illustrates the need for locally-based technical assistance.

• New funding in REAP for energy audits on farms.

Energy Training for Agriculture Professionals in the Southern SARE Region

• Training 25-30 Agricultural Energy Specialists in Year 1.

• Eligible: Extension agents, field personnel from any USDA agency.

• 3-day intensive training (expenses paid) at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (Goldsboro, NC) in September/October 2009.

• Participants will commit to organizing local or regional training events.

• We envision a growing locally-based network of people who stay in touch for mutual support.

Center for Environmental Farming Systems

• A joint effort of NC State, NC A&T State, and the NC Dept of Agriculture.

• Located on the 2,200 acre Cherry Research Farm. One of the nation’s largest centers for the study of environmentally sustainable farming practices.

• Energy is one of five strategic initiatives identified by the CEFS board.

• With collaboration from NCAT, CEFS held the second annual Fueling the Farm workshop in July.

• In 2007, NCAT engineers completed an energy audit of Cherry Research Farm. CEFS has already implemented many of the 21 energy-saving recommendations.

Congratulations, you are on our advisory committee.

Expectations:

• Promote the project within your state/region

• Recruit workshop participants and assist in selection for your state

• Available for phone questions, e-mail surveys, etc.

• Always invited and welcome to join steering committee calls.

Please consider serving on our steering committee:

Expectations:

• Promote the project in your state/region.

• Recruit workshop participants and assist in selection for your state.

• Provide information about your state and region’s needs and concerns.

• Participate in monthly conference calls.

• Suggest and recruit speakers.

• Help define the workshop agenda/curriculum.

• Review applications, workshop materials (subcommittees).

NCAT: www.ncat.org or 1-800-ASK-NCAT

[email protected]

ATTRA: www.attra.org or 1-800-346-9140

Farm Energy resources:

www.attra.org/energy

THANK YOU!

For more information: