​​NRCS and Louisiana Cotton Sustainability Pilot Project

December 2018 | 11 min., 37 sec.
by Rachel Holley Lee
Natural Resources Conservation Service

Summary

​Over the last several years, sustainability has become a hot topic for the agricultural industry. The Fieldprint Platform (FPP) was developed by the Field to Market Coalition for Sustainable Agriculture for cotton, rice, soybeans, corn, wheat, potatoes, and alfalfa farmers. In 2016 the Louisiana Cotton Sustainability Pilot Project was created as a joint project of the National Cotton Organizations, NRCS, Louisiana Cotton and Grain Association, Louisiana Farm Bureau, and Louisiana State University. In its 2015 National Indicator’s report Field to Market published significant improvements of US cotton in reducing the impact of key metrics such as soil loss, irrigation water use efficiency, greenhouse gas, and others. In setting the stage for the next decade, the US cotton industry set further goals for continual improvement. They are by 2025: reduce land use 13% per pound fiber, increase fiber per gallon of water 18%, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions 39%, reduce energy 15%, reduce soil loss 50%, and increase soil carbon 30%. The Louisiana Cotton Sustainability Pilot Project utilizes the FPP to assess management practices and natural resource conservation for Louisiana cotton producers. This presentation will help consultants, growers, and other practitioners in U.S. cotton-producing states to understand how the Louisiana Cotton Sustainability Pilot Project is trying to mend the gap between producers and the supply chain to meet the increasing need for transparent evidence of responsible production practices. Specifically, growers will learn the importance of measuring their sustainability efforts using the seven-sustainability metrics used by Field to Market: land use, energy, irrigation, greenhouse gas, soil carbon, runoff water quality, and soil loss.

About the Presenter

Rachel Holley LeeRachel Holley Lee works as a Soil Health Research and Implementation Manager at the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office in Winnsboro, Louisiana (a position she has held since June 2017). Her work is focused on the Louisiana Cotton Sustainability Pilot Project and assisting the NRCS with daily tasks. In 2016, the Louisiana Cotton Sustainability Pilot Project was created as a joint project of the National Cotton Organizations, NRCS, Louisiana Cotton and Grain Association, Louisiana Farm Bureau, and Louisiana State University. She works primarily with cotton producers in northern Louisiana, assisting them in entering their data in the Fieldprint Platform to assess their management practices and natural resource conservation. Rachel was born and raised in the rural town of Macon, Mississippi. She attended Mississippi State University, where she received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agriculture and extension education with a concentration in leadership. During her time at Mississippi State University, she found a passion for agriculture and public outreach. Rachel lives in Saint Joseph, Louisiana, with her husband, Kellon Lee, where he and his family farm cotton, corn, and soybeans.​

Contact Information:
Email: rachel.lee@la.nacdnet.net

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