ST. LOUIS, Dec. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A new initiative announced
today aims to reduce nutrient and sediment movement into the United States'
largest river system, the Mississippi River. Monsanto is partnering with
multiple agricultural and conservation groups that are working with farmers to
help reduce runoff from the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico.
The Nature Conservancy, the Iowa Soybean Association and Delta Wildlife
are all working collaboratively with farmers to remove nutrients and sediment
from agricultural runoff in the Mississippi River Basin. The National Audubon
Society is working with homeowners and others to implement measures which can
improve wildlife habitat and the quality of water entering the Mississippi
River. The new initiative by Monsanto will advance the group's work and help
determine the effectiveness of various conservation measures on improving
wildlife habitat and water quality.
"The Mississippi River is an ecological treasure and an economic
powerhouse," said Michael Reuter, who oversees The Nature Conservancy's Great
Rivers Partnership, which was created to help advance conservation of the
world's major river systems, including the Mississippi. "This new effort by
Monsanto will help show how we can make farming and conservation in the
Mississippi River Basin more compatible so that nature and people alike
benefit from improved water quality and enhanced wildlife habitat."
"We're proud to work on this bold conservation initiative which we believe
offers a sustainable vision for agricultural landscapes wherein farmers can
support our world's growing needs for food, fiber and fuel in ways that not
only preserve water quality, but also support diverse and abundant wildlife
populations," said Jerry Steiner, executive vice president at Monsanto. "We
believe this initiative can serve as an important stepping stone toward the
goal of preserving natural resources and wildlife in the Mississippi River
Basin for future generations."
"Farmers are emerging in key leadership roles through their investments,
and by participating in the planning and implementation of practices that
perform environmentally. It's our goal to support them and help them make
meaningful progress," said Roger Wolf, Director of Environmental Programs at
the Iowa Soybean Association. "Our goal is to use science -- research and data
-- to systematically develop and implement a suite of management techniques
that help production agriculture measurably improve stewardship while
maintaining or increasing profitability."
"Delta Wildlife is pleased to join forces with Monsanto, The Nature
Conservancy, and the Iowa Soybean Association to implement a large-scale
project that will improve water quality in the Mississippi River and Gulf of
Mexico," stated Bobby Carson, Chairman of the Delta Wildlife Board of
Directors. "While significant environmental benefits will certainly accrue
from this project, it will also nurture a more sustainable and profitable
future for agriculture."
"Audubon is pleased to be part of this effort to foster a sustainable
Mississippi River watershed for people and wildlife," said Roger Still, Vice
President of Audubon's Mississippi River Initiative. "We are committed to
engaging individuals to take action in their own lives to help address the
water quality and habitat issues in the watershed. This effort complements our
broader Mississippi River Initiative."
Under The Projects
* The Nature Conservancy will conduct a three-year conservation pilot in
four watersheds in the Upper Mississippi River basin that include the Root
River in southeastern Minnesota, the Pecatonica River in southern Wisconsin,
the Boone River in northern Iowa and the Mackinaw River in central Illinois.
The Conservancy will work with local partners, including farmers, in those
watersheds to implement and study conservation techniques that best lower
nutrient and sediment concentrations by reducing runoff from agricultural
landscapes. Through this project, the Conservancy will seek to determine
which tools work best in a larger, sub-watershed system and will then
communicate findings to crop producers to guide their farm stewardship
decisions.
* The Iowa Soybean Association will conduct research on paired, micro
watersheds in two areas: the Boone and Raccoon Rivers. The group will also
coordinate conservation outreach in those watersheds, which includes
monitoring, measurement and evaluation of on-farm resources and environmental
outcomes.
* Delta Wildlife will install Best Management Practices (BMPs) on
approximately 1,000 sites on working farms in the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta
region of the Lower Mississippi Valley. BMPs will be designed to reduce
off-site movement of nutrients and sediments while providing secondary
environmental benefits in the form of improved fish and wildlife habitat and
water conservation. The project will include a monitoring and assessment
component that will thoroughly document accrued environmental benefits.
* Data collected from all projects will be reported on annually and is
expected to generate novel approaches which can be implemented more broadly
across rural landscapes. Crop producers will be directly involved in the
respective projects. Findings from all projects will be shared with farmers
regularly so that they can observe and adapt cultural practices that preserve
water quality and improve wildlife habitat.
* Audubon will raise awareness of how people can be good stewards of
nature in their own backyards. The project will focus on promoting specific
individual actions to enhance water quality and habitat for birds and other
wildlife. Audubon will broadly communicate these best practices throughout the
Mississippi River watershed.
* Monsanto will commit more than $5 million to support all of the
projects. Monsanto will also work actively with all the four groups to share
data generated from all projects with its farmer customers. The company will
also encourage on-farm adoption of management practices that contribute to
water quality.
Partners Remain Committed to Broader Dialogue, Working with Other Experts
Along River
The projects, announced today, are expected in the near term to offer to
the agricultural community a comprehensive approach to improving the health of
the Mississippi River. They are also expected to generate best practices that
may be integrated into management plans designed to conserve major river
systems around the world.
Monsanto and its conservation partners, along with grower associations
including the American Soybean Association and the National Corn Growers
Association also announced that they will be forming a Mississippi River Farm
Nutrient Working Group. The group expects to engage other agricultural-related
interests, government leaders and other interested organizations in this
group. Additional information on this group will be announced in spring 2009.
The group is expected to engage additional experts in an effort to share
findings and best practices, raise awareness and broaden restoration efforts
along the Mississippi River. The Working Group will also discuss what might be
needed to help farmers implement stewardship projects at a higher rate, and
see what can be done to provide incentives or enabling policies to assist them
in doing this.
A New Vision for Agricultural Landscapes
This bold conservation initiative offers a new vision for the Mississippi
River and agricultural landscapes by which farmers can efficiently produce
higher-yielding crops for food, fiber and fuel in ways that further preserve
water quality as well as support diverse and abundant wildlife populations.
Over the years, crop producers have implemented cultural practices that
reduce erosion, runoff and sedimentation into our nation's rivers and streams.
These common on-farm stewardship practices include conservation tillage, no-
till, filter strips and water control structures. Improved placement of
fertilizers and precision application of fertilizers and agri-chemicals are
additional, market-driven best management practices that contribute to
improved water quality in agricultural ecosystems. Additionally, on-farm tools
available to farmers today, such as, herbicide-tolerant crops are supporting
the conversion of farmland to no-till practices which greatly reduce erosion
and the emission of greenhouse gas into our environment.
In the future, crop producers are expected to have additional on-farm
tools which can enhance their environmental stewardship efforts. Agricultural
technology providers, such as Monsanto, are working to develop nitrogen-use
efficiency technologies and crop products that yield more on each acre of
land. Earlier this year, the company announced its commitment to develop, by
2030, certain seeds that can double crop yields and reduce by one-third the
amount of key resources, e.g., nitrogen and water, required to grow crops.
Additional information
The partners will be holding a press conference later this morning at
10 a.m. (Central Time). To register for this conference, please visit
https://intercall.webex.com/intercall/j.php?ED=111047517&UID.
The partners have also posted a press kit related to today's announcement
online at: http://www.monsanto.com/mississippiriverproject. The press kit
includes additional information about the projects and the Mississippi River
basin, photos of management practices and regional wildlife, bios of all
presenters as well as other related information.
About the Partners
The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working to
protect the most ecologically important lands and waters around the world for
nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million
members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres
in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in
Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. The Mississippi River has
been designated a global priority by The Nature Conservancy as part of its
Campaign for a Sustainable Planet to protect lands and waters in the United
States and around the world for future generations. The Conservancy's goal is
to help protect at least 10 percent of each of the world's major habitat types
-- forests, oceans, rivers and lakes, grasslands, and deserts and dry lands --
by the year 2015. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at
http://www.nature.org.
The Iowa Soybean Association develops policies and programs that help
farmers expand profit opportunities while promoting environmentally sensitive
production using the soybean checkoff and other resources. The Association is
governed by an elected volunteer board of 21 farmers. To learn more about our
association, please visit: http://www.iasoybeans.com.
Delta Wildlife was founded in 1990 for the specific purpose of conserving,
enhancing and restoring native wildlife habitats, wildlife populations and
natural resources found in the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta region of Northwest
Mississippi. With a membership base that owns and manages more than 60
percent of all the land in the region, the organization has found success
through the development and implementation of science-based projects and
programs, targeted education and outreach, and by demonstrating the highest
possible level of accountability to organizational members and professional
peers. To learn more about Delta Wildlife and its programs and projects,
please visit their website at http://www.deltawildlife.org.
Now in its second century, Audubon connects people with birds, nature and
the environment that supports us all. Our national network of community-based
nature centers, chapters, scientific, education, and advocacy programs engages
millions of people from all walks of life in conservation action to protect
and restore the natural world. Our Mississippi River Initiative, spanning the
river's entire watershed, is focused on protecting and enhancing declining
birds and their habitats; reducing excess nutrients to improve water quality;
and restoring natural hydrology to sustain important river functions and
reduce the loss of coastal wetlands in Louisiana. Our actions are coordinated
at hemispheric, national, regional and local scales. To learn more about
Audubon, and its efforts to protect the Mississippi, please visit:
http://www.audubon.org.
Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of technology-based
solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food
quality. Monsanto remains focused on enabling both small-holder and
large-scale farmers to produce more from their land while conserving more of
our world's natural resources such as water and energy. To learn more about
our business and our commitments, please visit: http://www.monsanto.com.
