Abstract
Perennial grain crops are currently being developed, yet little is known about farmer interest in these new crops. We conducted an online survey in France and the United States to evaluate interest in perennial grains. Results show that 57% of the farmers who responded reported they were “interested” or “very interested” in growing perennial grains, whereas 41% reported they needed more information. Respondents consistently ranked “to increase or maintain farm profitability” and “to improve soil health” among the top reasons why they were interested in growing perennial grains. Reasons why farmers were interested, as well as their concerns about growing perennial grains, differed by country and farm type (i.e., conventional vs. organic). More farmers in France than in the United States ranked “to reduce labor requirements”, and more conventional farmers than organic farmers ranked “to reduce inputs” among their top reasons for their interest. Farmers were also asked about integration strategies and management. More farmers in the United States than in France and more conventional farmers than organic farmers reported that they were interested in dual-purpose perennial crops that can be harvested for both grain and forage. Results from this survey can guide future perennial grain research and development.
Highlights
Perennial grain crops are a potentially more sustainable alternative to annual grain crops that currently dominate the global food system
More farmers in the United States than in France and more conventional farmers than organic farmers reported that they were interested in dual-purpose perennial crops that can be harvested for both grain and forage
We focused on organic farmers in particular because there is a growing interest in organic, local small grain production both in France and the US
Summary
Perennial grain crops are a potentially more sustainable alternative to annual grain crops that currently dominate the global food system. Annual cereals such as corn, wheat, and rice are staple crops that form the foundation of caloric intake around the world [1]. More than 731 million ha of cereal crops were harvested in 2017 [2]. A critically important part of the global food system, annual cereals have a number of drawbacks. Managed annual grain crop production is responsible for a number of environmental problems including soil erosion, reduced water quality and availability, greenhouse gas emissions, and loss of biological diversity [3]
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