One American farmer produces enough food to feed 128 people in the United States and abroad. The U.S. food and fiber industry generates 21 million jobs, about 17% of the work force, or one out of every six jobs.
Less than 2% of the U.S. population lives on farms today, in 1920 it was 30%, and when the Constitution was signed, it was 90%.
Like other independent businesses, many U.S. farms are incorporated, but most, almost 82%, are family held.
Agriculture and the Environment
Today, more than 100 million acres - over one-third of all U.S. cropland is farmed using crop residue management or conservation tillage practices. Farmers can produce crops up to 30% more economically through residue management. By the turn of the century, 80% of our cropland will be under some type of residue management.
Retained plant residue lessens the force of raindrops, decreasing soil erosion and water runoff. Residue also provides important habitat for wildlife.
Wildlife depend on the hospitality of America’s farmers and ranchers. Experts estimate 75% of the nation’s wildlife live on private lands, the majority on farms.
Crop protection products available today are highly selective, have shorter residual and are environmentally sound. Many new families of herbicides provide outstanding weed control at rates as low as 2 to 4 ounces per acre. This is also true of many modern insecticides.
As evidence of these advancement, two agricultural scientists were honored by the President of the Untied States with the 1993 National Medal of Technology for the ....discovery and commercialization of environmentally friendly herbicides.
Agriculture and Food Quality
“Our food supply is not only the safest, but it is the most abundant in the world, and pesticides are one of the important tools that have made that abundance possible.” said Dr. C Everett Koop, former U.S. Surgeon General.
On average, only one in 20,000 compounds makes it from the chemist’s laboratory to the farmer’s field.
To ensure that a product, when used properly, will not present any health or environmental concerns, it is subjected to more than 120 separate tests.
Mother Nature is the largest pesticide manufacturer, producing natural poisons that are more prevalent and often hundreds or thousands of times more potent than synthetic pesticides.
According to the National Cancer Institute, there is no scientific evidence that ingestion of pesticide residue on fruits and vegetables causes cancer in humans. Medical experts agree, the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables far outweigh any potential risks.
Reprint permission given by AgAir Update, P.O. Box 850, Perry, GA 31069 - an international agricultural aviation publication.
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