Farming with grass--for people, for profit, for production, for protection

Abstract

A chieving sustainable mixed agricultural landscapes in grassland environments is a broad, perhaps audacious goal; yet, the need for change in current agricultural systems is undeniable. Today's agriculture and food systems are deeply rooted from the era of cheap energy and fertilizers, an assumption of static climate, and the ability of entities to “externalize” environmental and social costs. With society currently facing the end of cheap energy and a growing awareness of climate change linked to rising concentrations of greenhouse gases, additional pressures are likely to emerge—expanding human population and increasing competition for scarce water supplies. Change in, and uncertainty about, such key drivers of ecological and economic systems require a fundamental reassessment of agricultural and food systems. It is time to rethink how agriculture is performed; we need more secure and resilient food systems and enhanced economic opportunities in rural communities. With agriculture occupying about 40% of the global land surface, goals for clean water, clean air, and diverse biota cannot be met without good ecological stewardship of agricultural lands. Grasses and other perennials have a major role to play in more diverse and resilient agricultural systems needed to meet the multitude of ecological functions derived from agricultural lands. The…