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USFRA says producers need to have a voice in worldwide sustainability
The chairwoman of U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action (USFRA) says the country’s ag producers should be part of the climate change discussion. “We have a very unique perspective to share. We have experience on the land others do not,” Ann Meis said.
Speaking during the virtual United Nations Food Systems Summit, Meis said farmers and ranchers can help find solutions to the problem by helping meet the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs). “I want to thank the UN for recognizing that farmers and ranchers need to have this voice in the dialogue as we discuss solutions to climate change,” she said.
The sustainable development goals are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals, agreed to in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly, to provide a blueprint for a more sustainable future.
The North Central Nebraska farmer and rancher says the “Decade of Family Farming,” which is part of the SDGs, helps achieve goals through a collaborative and inclusive process. “We believe action toward the UN sustainable development goals starts with agriculture. We can be part of the solution for our communities and the planet.”
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, “putting family farming and all family-based production models at the focus of interventions for a period of ten years, will contribute to a world free of hunger and poverty, where natural resources are managed sustainably, and where no one is left behind–corresponding to the top commitments of the 2030 Agenda.”
Some of the SDGs include no poverty, clean water and sanitation, life below water, life on land and responsible consumption and production.
Meis grows corn and soybeans along with raising cattle with her husband Jim near Elgin. In addition to her role on USFRA, she serves as a board member with the Nebraska Soybean Checkoff.
