YOUR TEXAS AGRICULTURE MINUTE

Farmers eye Green New Deal with concern

By Gene Hall

Modern agriculture has never seen anything quite like the Green New Deal.
Agricultural output nearly tripled between 1948 and 2015. In that time, the amount of land and inputs has steadily declined.

Modern agriculture is more sustainable than before but not as much as it will be.

Let’s start with the obvious. This is our food supply—possibly the least desirable choice for a social experiment.

Tucked into the Green New Deal are words like “land-use planning.” These always cause farmers and ranchers discomfort. Put another way it means “we’re going to decide how you use your land and run your farm.”

On the bright side, the architects of the plan say they want to work with family farmers to reduce pollution and greenhouse gases. Agriculture is already working on it, and 98 percent of all farms are family operations.

The Green New Deal is a framework without many details. As always, that’s where the devil lives.

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.

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