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Posted on Sep 10, 2018 in Audio, Editorial, Featured, Your Texas Agriculture Minute

YOUR TEXAS AGRICULTURE MINUTE

YOUR TEXAS AGRICULTURE MINUTE

 

Modern agriculture can help biodiversity flourish

By Gene Hall

There is a movement afoot to encourage setting aside half of the world’s land to preserve biodiversity and wildlife habitat. There are mountains of political obstacles to overcome on the road to that goal and many questions to answer.

Many of the nations with diverse ecosystems are poor. Deforestation often occurs because people are trying to feed their families.

The people who favor this sort of thing also tend to attack modern agriculture. That means they are working at cross purposes.

Why?

Because modern agriculture technology grows more food on less land. Implementing biotechnology, for example, means fewer trips across the field and less crop input. Organic agriculture is popular and satisfies a growing market. But it also requires more, not less, land.

The growing of food means use of land, and it cannot be done without a substantial carbon footprint. But if we want to do the most with what we have, modern agriculture is one way to get there.

The preceding commentary is brought to you by Texas Farm Bureau, the “Voice of Texas Agriculture.” Called “Your Texas Agriculture Minute,” TFB will issue thought-provoking editorials each week—via print and audio—to spark understanding of agriculture in the Lone Star State and its impact on each and every Texan.

You may read this week’s editorial above or listen to the audio version.

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