Rising Grain Prices Trigger Increased Erosion

One of our viewers, Dom Castaldo, shared this article with me about a week ago.  Coming from a farming background I found it to be interesting and maybe you will, too.



Greg Henderson, Editor, Associate Publisher
Updated: April 14, 2011

Grain prices reaching historic levels do more than just drive up the cost of feeding livestock. The demand for grain also increases soil erosion, and across wide swaths of the Corn Belt, soil is being lost at rates much higher than official estimates, according to a report issued this week by an environmental group.

The Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) study, “Losing Ground,” says there is “compelling evidence that soil erosion and runoff from cropland are far worse than (government) estimates suggest.”

In April 2010, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) released data estimating the rate of soil erosion on agricultural land in the United States. That report estimated erosion in Iowa averaged 5.2 tons per acre per year, only slightly higher than the allegedly “sustainable” rate of five tons per acre per year for most Iowa soils. The sustainable rate is defined as the amount that can be lost each year without reducing agricultural productivity. NRCS data says erosion across the entire Corn Belt averages 3.9 tons per acre per year. (Scientists say five tons of soil per acre would be a sheet less than a dime in thickness.)

However, the EWG analysis suggests heavy rainstorms in Iowa over recent years have increased erosion by as much as 12 times the rate the NRCS calls sustainable. That erosion is greatest in western Iowa, and other regions of the state that are more rolling.

The erosion problem will only increase, the researchers say, as higher grains prices encourage farmers to increase tillage and plantings on as much of their land as possible. At the same time, they note, Congress is considering cuts to the national budget that will decrease programs that encourage soil-conserving practices.

The EWG report was compiled by studying data compiled by scientists at Iowa State University. EWG conducted an aerial survey in the spring of 2010 that they claim suggests soil erosion and runoff are “likely far worse than even the ISU numbers suggest.”

Many farmers in recent weeks have recognized their neighbors are aggressively converting land to row crops this year in an effort to capitalize on rising corn and soybean prices. Much of that land would be considered “highly erodible,” increasing the likelihood Corn Belt erosion will increase as grain prices increase.

EWG believes farmers should be required to maintain strips of grass or trees at least 35 feet in width along rivers, streams and lakes to protect them from runoff. The group also has encouraged USDA to increase enforcement of a law that requires farmers to take measures to protect highly erodible land from soil loss or else risk losing federal subsidies and loans.