Learn about sustainability indicators used to gauge and evaluate a farm’s progress toward a more sustainable future.
|
|
|
Contour farming with buffer strips. These conservation practices reduce erosion and water pollution.. Photo: NRCS/USDA; Wikimedia Commons. |
 |
| Mixtures offer advantages over monocultures. Michael Bomford photo. |
Learn the benefits of planting diverse prairie grass mixtures for biofuel feedstocks.
The vast majority of farm-based bioenergy production currently relies on monocultures: pure stands of a single plant species such as corn or soybeans. Yet researchers have long known that plant mixtures or polycultures offer numerous advantages, including resistance to plant diseases, insect pests, weeds …
|
|
|
Irrigation is Nevada. Photo: US EPA and National Archive and Record Administration; Wikimedia Commons. |
Learn how efficient irrigation technologies and practices reduce water and power costs.
Find these topics and many other related Farm Energy media resources
Are biofuels truly sustainable? Explore biofuel sustainability in regards to the environment, economy, energy, and farming livelihood.
|
|
|
Soybean biodiesel fuel. Photo: Leandro Maranghetti Lourenço, Brazil; Wikimedia Commons. |
Major Questions about the Sustainability of Biofuels
Can we reduce greenhouse gases with biofuels? Explore biofuels, the carbon cycle and potential impacts.
|
|
|
Palm oil plantation, in Indonesia. Photo: Achmad Rabin Taim; Wikimedia Commons. |
From the standpoint of human-released carbon dioxide, other greenhouse gas emissions, and contributions to climate change biofuels have one large advantage over gasoline, diesel and other fossil fuels: The feedstocks for biofuels …
|
|
|
Cotton harvest. Photo: Kimberly Vardeman; Wikimedia Commons. |
Learn how GMO’s are used in bioenergy systems, and why they are controversial in the sustainability debate.
Genetic engineering is being used and tested in virtually every aspect of bioenergy production, including crops, bacteria, yeasts, and catalysts. For example, researchers are trying to genetically engineer plants that grow faster, have high sugar or starch content, contain more cellulose …
 |
|
Most farm operations currently depend on fossil fuel use. Photo: Jeff Piper. |
Learn many strategies for improving energy efficiency, and the cheapest and easiest way to reduce energy costs on the farm.
In the last few years, interest in alternative energy and energy conservation has skyrocketed due to unstable …
Energy efficiency and conservation are integral to sustainable agriculture. Efficiency means increasing the work or yield per unit of energy; conservation means reducing total energy usageFuel and electricity use on farms is just as important to sustainability and energy savings, as use of soil and water. Energy efficiency is an integral part of sustainable agriculture. While U.S. farms have almost doubled their average energy efficiency over the past 25 years, most farms still have good opportunities to save energy …
How can biofuel be certified sustainable? Examine guidelines, criteria, and measurable indicators.
How can biofuel be certified sustainable? Examine guidelines, criteria, and measurable indicators.
|
|
| Windmills on a farm. Photo: Farm Energy Community of Practice. |
