Sustainability

For Nebraska soybean farmers, sustainability isn’t just a buzzword — it’s a way of life. Ninety-seven percent of farms are family-owned, and 95% are participating in conservation programs and using sustainable practices. And it’s making a difference for every bushel produced — 48% less land, 60% less irrigation, 43% fewer emissions, just to name a few. Nebraska soybean farmers say that maintaining resources and using them responsibly allows them to practice sustainability. Soil conservation and using fewer pesticides and less water allows U.S. soy farmers to produce a high quality crop.


Nebraska soybean farmers can use genetically engineered seeds to help reduce their pesticide applications. Many genetically engineered seeds have traits that resist some bugs and fungi, helping farmers to have a more efficient and safe production system.

 

Today’s growers know that soils need a certain amount of water and only use what the soil in each field requires. Cropping practices such as no-till allow residue to hold water in and genetically engineered seeds are bred to use less water and are drought tolerant.