The Irreplaceability of Herbicides in U.S. Agriculture
Presentations
The Irreplaceability of Herbicides in U.S. Agriculture
Prior to the adoption of herbicides, U.S. agriculture was not on a sustainable path. Millions of farm workers were leaving rural areas and hand weeding was being neglected. Constant tillage was causing a loss of topsoil of 3 billion tons per year. More than ¾ of the topsoil had been stripped from 200 million acres of farmland. Herbicides replaced the need for millions of workers to weed fields which lowered cost of production. Herbicide use allowed for a significant reduction in tillage and associated erosion. 90 million acres of U.S. cropland are now being managed with no-till methods, resulting in erosion reductions of 90% and fuel reductions of 50%. Tillage dries out the soil and, as a result, herbicide use has led to significant water conservation in arid farming regions. Some U.S. farmers have given up herbicides and practice organic farming. Constant tillage and hand weeding are the primary weed control methods used on organic farms. Erosion rates, labor use, and fuel use are all higher on organic farms while yields are lower because weed control is not as effective without herbicides. Hand weeding and tillage are not sustainable weed control practices. Additionally, the U.S. would not be able to compete with countries where labor costs are 90% lower. Without herbicides, erosion rates and farm fuel use would increase enormously. Herbicides are the backbone of sustainable agriculture in the U. S. and any threat to their effectiveness and availability must be taken seriously.
Speakers
BIO: Leonard Gianessi has served as Director of the Crop Protection Research Institute since January 2004. He has authored comprehensive reports on the benefits of using herbicides, fungicides and insecticides in US crop production. In addition to publishing his results in peer-reviewed journals, Leonard has developed popular slide shows (War of the Weeds, Spore Wars, BugBusters) that serve as educational overviews of pest problems. Leonard's educational efforts include about 40 presentations per year for a wide variety of audiences. Leonard's educational efforts include about 40 presentations per year for a wide variety of audiences. His research and outreach activities are being supported financially by CropLife America and 17 of its member companies. His international research activities are supported by CropLife International. Prior to joining the CropLife Foundation, Leonard was a Senior Research Associate at the National Center for Food and Agricultural policy where he led studies of the potential impacts of biotechnology on US and European crop production. His work at NCFAP was partially supported by a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation. Leonard began his professional career with a 17-year appointment at Resources for the Future where he specialized in the development of databases for studies of air and water pollution and pesticide use. His work at RFF was supported by USEPA, USGS, and USDA and led to published articles in numerous conference proceedings and journal articles including Quarterly Journal of Economics and Land Economics. Leonard has testified before Congressional Committees regarding pesticide policies in four hearings. Leonard has a BA in public affairs from George Washington University.
