Ag Group: More Farmland Needed Now

According to Jon Scholl, president of conservation organization American Farmland Trust (AFT), not enough fresh fruits and vegetables are produced in the U.S. for everyone to eat a balanced and nutritious diet. “In fact, it is estimated that we need at least another 13 million acres of farmland growing fruits and vegetables just for Americans to meet the minimum daily requirement of fruits and vegetables set by USDA 2005 dietary guidelines," he says. 

"This statistic is even more poignant with the release of the USDA’s new ‘Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010,’ which calls for Americans to include even more fruits and vegetables into their diet. With the majority of these fruits and vegetables grown in the path of development, and the need for 13 million more acres, we must ask, how can we afford to lose another acre of farmland and still expect to improve the health of our nation?”

Scholl notes there are several things consumers can do to help make sure there is better access for all Americans to fresh, healthy foods, and to help save the farms and farmland that are critical to supplying that bounty:

• Support your local farmers markets, CSA’s and other direct-farm outlets.
• Get involved in your local land trust or conservation organization to help protect our working farm and ranchland; or your local planning organization to help plan for the future for agriculture in your community.
• Cast your vote for the markets you love in AFT’s America’s Favorite Farmers Markets contest.

Source: American Farmland Trust news release