Opinion: Climate change is our cross to bear

Thirty years from now, our children and grandchildren will wake up before dawn to tend to their farms. They’ll work until sundown planting and harvesting crops, raising livestock, milking cows, and hauling produce. Yet while some things about farming just don’t change, the fact of the matter is that Mother Nature, our most important business partner, is changing dramatically. This generation must adapt to and help mitigate climatic changes. We can no longer afford to turn a blind eye to the single greatest threat to family farm agriculture, to our country, and to humanity.

President of America's National
 Farmers Union, Roger Johnson.

The effects of climate change are already wreaking havoc on farms from Florida to Oklahoma to California. Extreme heat. Severe and long-lasting drought. Heavy rains. Massive flooding. Devastating wildfires. You see it on the news.  You see it on your farm. These aren’t “alarmist” talking points; these are real problems that are ruining crops, livestock, and livelihoods of American farmers and ranchers. This year, the federal government will provide billions of dollars to farmers to cover losses due to extreme weather events. Without significant action, these disasters will continue to become more frequent and more severe.

Read the opinion piece from Agri-Pulse by the president of the National Farmers Union, Roger Johnson - “Opinion: Climate change is our cross to bear.”