Trouble Downstream: Upgrading Conservation Compliance: » Finding #5

Finding #5: Conservation compliance should be expanded and strengthened to help reduce additional soil erosion and nutrient pollution associated with the increase in agricultural biofuels production.

In 2007, fifteen million more acres of corn were planted than had been grown in 2006 in response to burgeoning demand for ethanol (and continued strong export demand for U.S. grain) (NASS, 2007). The expansion of corn production ostensibly serves to meet energy policy goals of reduced dependence on foreign oil and lower emissions of climate changing gases. However, soil and water quality scientists are increasingly concerned about unintended local and regional environmental consequences of an expansion in corn production (Simpson et al, 2007).

Currently, crop production, whether for feed grain use or ethanol production, is not subject to federal environmental standards or guidelines to minimize soil erosion or nutrient pollution. The only environmental performance standard now applied to corn production is the soil conservation plan required of farmers on just the portion of the corn crop that is subsidized and produced on highly erodible land. Expanding and strengthening conservation compliance to all subsidized cropland provides an important policy option for dealing with potential increases in soil erosion and nutrient pollution that may accompany the increase in corn production to supply the ethanol boom.