Some Crops Make The World A Cleaner Place

Since our parents were children U.S. farmers have increased corn production 130 % and boosted corn exports 350 %. This amazing feat has been accomplished despite major changes in how we farm, using less land, and putting increased emphasis on protecting the environment. Today, one farmer produces enough food and fiber to feed more than 120 people around the world and they are doing this while using fewer pesticides to fight weeds and insects.

Wildlife Habitat: Farms provide 75 % of the food and habitat for wildlife in the U.S.

Soil Savings: Soil losses to erosion are nearly 1 billion tons less today than they were in 1982 as a result of new conservation tillage practices. The Illinois Department of Agriculture estimates Illinois farmers have saved more than 90 million tons of soil since 1992. Tree Planting: Illinois landowners planted more than 31 million trees in the last decade.
Pesticide Use: The University of Illinois says the pounds of pesticides per acre used by farmers has decreased 25% in the past few years. Since 1980, corn growers have decreased insecticide use 50 %, according to the National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy.
Cleaner Water: Midwestern farmers have installed more than 100,000 acres of conservation buffers. Buffers are areas planted with grasses and trees which help keep soil and Ag chemicals out of streams, lakes and rivers.
Cleaner Air: More than 680 million bushels of corn will be used to make 1.7 billion gallons of ethanol fuel this year. When 10 % ethanol is added to gasoline it burns cleaner cutting air pollution and smog. Ag crops also take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert it to air for people to breathe!
Biotechnology: New genetic improvements in corn allow the use of fewer chemicals as well as increasing productivity, leading to less intensive agriculture. New antibodies for immunizations are another bonus.
Biodegradable Plastics: Many plastic products we use today - from packing materials to food wrappers - never break down in the environment. Corn offers a degradable alternative that can be used to make everything from golf tees to garbage bags.
Printing Inks: Today we are replacing petroleum based printing inks, which must be disposed of like hazardous waster, with environmentally friendly inks made from corn and soybean oil.
Solvents: Solvents are chemicals that are used for everything from cleaning printing presses and electrical circuitry to stripping paint. These toxic and tough to work with products are gradually being replaced with corn-based products.

For more information on the environment and agriculture you can look on the Internet at:

Illinois Corn Growers Association - www.ilcorn.org
National Corn Growers Association - www.ncga.com
Ag Council of America - www.agday.org
Illinois Farm Bureau - www.fb.com/ilfb/Connections/facts.htm
or www.agintheclassroom.org/
Conservation Technology Information Center-www.ctic.purdue.edu/CTIC/CTIC.html Foundation Earth. s - Earth. s Library - http://earthonline.org/library.html