agribusinessreview.comOCTOBER 202419For more than 20 years, Lamb Weston and our grower partners have been working together to advance sustainable farming practices. We believe sustainable agriculture must be a win-win: a virtuous cycle that supports growers' livelihoods and the health of the soil and planet. And we're not the only ones; according to Sustainable Brands, 75 percent of U.S. consumers surveyed are concerned about the environmental impact of the products they buy. (Sustainable Brands, 2022).We know sustainability won't happen without practicality, and we work closely with growers to solve common barriers to adoption like cost, tech limitations, or unclear results. Lamb Weston's goal is to equip growers with practices and tools that work--environmentally and economically--so they can sustain their operations, families, and land for the long term.Based on our research, engagement, and trials, we see three forces that are now emerging as the future of sustainable agriculture, scaling up from the soil's microbiome to the level of the farm to the entire planet:· The field: Advances in soil science are opening the next frontier of sustainable crop production. Healthier soil stores more carbon and requires fewer inputs.· The farm: More practical agriculture technology equips growers to monitor, analyze, and adjust everything happening on their farm in real-time for greater efficiency and deeper insights. Precise agriculture minimizes soil disturbance and reduces fuel usage and related carbon emissions.· The planet: Farms are responding to climate change by decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, sequestering carbon, and increasing resilience to climate impacts. Climate-smart agricultural practices cultivate soil health.The Field: Advancing the Science of Soil HealthAs we continue to advance soil science for the future of sustainable potato agriculture, many of the long-standing requirements in our Grower Guide already support soil health, such as cover cropping to prevent erosion and crop rotation to break pathogen cycles. Lamb Weston previously pioneered the use of Serenade Prime--a beneficial bacteria that lives in potato roots and improves the uptake of nutrients for larger, better potatoes. Lamb Weston first began trials of Serenade more than ten years ago, and it is now a mainstay for many growers' programs. We partner with universities, researchers, and manufacturers to identify innovative practices, products, and technologies. They regularly test bio-stimulants to find which works best for growers, including a recently trialed biological solution made of kelp that provides rich micronutrients and minerals to the soil. We are also experimenting with a technique that extracts and cultivates native algae from the soil, then sprays it through irrigation pivots to promote the growth of good bacteria.The Farm: Making Modern Agriculture PracticalLamb Weston is piloting technologies to find those that support more efficient use of resources. Equipped with these technologies, growers can closely monitor and fine-tune their operations to enhance sustainability, while reducing costs.Remote sensing technology has revolutionized crop monitoring, providing valuable insights into crop health and ADVANCING AGRICULTURE: SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES FROM THE FIELD, TO THE FARM, TO THE PLANETBy Rich Burres, Director of Ag Sustainability, Lamb Weston insightscXoRich Burres
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