Economic Return:
Sustainable agriculture provides income through the sale of food and fiber products that are produced in a manner that protects the ecological functions and the integrity of the land.
Background Information:
Private crop, pasture, and range lands account for 50% of the land in the contiguous United States. MMA SLI recognizes that through improved stewardship of the land, farmers can provide not only food and fiber, but also clean water, habitat for native wildlife, barriers to sprawl and other public benefits. The price of farm commodities has fallen in real terms for decades, but the value society places on the environmental quality farmers and foresters can provide is rising. Through its investments, MMA SLI will institute long-term and/or permanent land use practices on the agricultural components of property that will:
- Minimize urban sprawl
- Protect and enhance wildlife habitat
- Reduce soil erosion and non-point source runoff
Income will be generated by sustainable yield harvests, and through the sale or transfer of development rights to agricultural protection programs. |
