MERCED, California
,
December 6, 2022
(press release)
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Converting Cropland Would Create Jobs and Revenue for Landowners As historic overuse of water resources and persistent drought forces more farmland retirement in
In the region known as the nation's food basket, many low-income residents who depend on agriculture for their livelihoods also breathe dirty air and lack vital services such as sewage, health care and clean drinking water. The study examines the benefits of creating one-mile buffer zones in and around 154 disadvantaged rural communities that could be used for solar energy and other clean industries, managed aquifer recharge projects, and parks and wildlife corridors to help restore degraded ecosystems. Increasingly, farm owners are allowing fields to go fallow or retiring swaths of land due to a lack of water to sustain certain crops. The study estimates that failing to repurpose retired cropland would lead to potential losses in the
"This is an opportunity for a positive change to achieve climate resilience and environmental justice for communities that have traditionally been underrepresented and underserved," said
Investing an average of
Other benefits of this approach, the study says, include significant reductions in groundwater overdraft, nitrate leaching, greenhouse gas emissions, and the use of pesticides. "Our study demonstrates that it can be financially beneficial for landowners and industry investors to engage in strategic cropland repurposing that creates socioeconomic opportunities and a cleaner environment for marginalized communities," said study author
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