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Ag at the center of carbon and climate change

The president of a state farm bureau organization says agriculture is uniquely positioned to be at the center of carbon and climate change discussions.

Mark McHargue with Nebraska Farm Bureau says companies want to invest in carbon-friendly products like biofuels, exports and production agriculture. “We don’t have to actually believe that’s going to change the world. The fact is there is a value there is a lot of people and companies are placing on that.  We need to be in the discussion and figure out how to capture some of that value.”

He tells Brownfield while on a trade mission to Japan, officials were interested how American ethanol plants were reducing carbon intensity. “We need to be in that discussion, clearly, after even the conversations I had in Japan reiterated that we need to be at the table having those discussions.”  

And, McHargue says, weather is another factor since many farmers are seeing more extreme events in the last decade. “Whether that’s just a cycle or what it is.  I do think we have a changing weather pattern. Is that actually related to carbon in our atmosphere, I think everybody has to make that decision themselves.”

He says more producers need to share their story of climate smart practices on their operations.