Evaluating and Working to Improve Georgia Cotton and Peanut Sustainability Practices Using the Fieldprint Calculator

Today, the term “sustainability” is at the forefront of the agricultural supply chain, including the producer, the manufacturer, and the consumer. Many sectors across the agricultural industry have developed production sustainability goals; however, it has been difficult to quantify these specific goals. Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture presents a unique opportunity for producers with the use of their Fieldprint Calculator. The calculator analyzes and calculates a sustainability score on a grower’s individual field based on their current management practices. The sustainability score is based off of eight metrics: biodiversity, energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, irrigation water use, land use, soil carbon, soil conservation, and water quality. Across the state of Georgia, many cotton growers utilize conventional crop rotations that typically include the production of peanuts. For this study, approximately 45 cotton and peanut growers in Georgia have enrolled to participate in the Fieldprint Calculator surveys and five new growers are being enrolled every year of the study. The main objective of this on-going research is to evaluate the relationship of sustainability practices between cotton and peanut production in Georgia and how they vary year-to-year. The following goals have been set for this project: create baseline sustainability data for cotton and peanuts, develop long-term sustainability benchmarks, and to facilitate educational events for cotton and peanut growers. From this research we anticipate to inform growers on areas of improvement so they can maximize and maintain a positive environmental impact. Individual yearly and long-term data will be utilized to determine production trends and develop recommendations for producers to become more efficient and sustainable.