Farms and Forestry

By Warren Joseph

Of all environmental hazards, irresponsible agriculture and forestry are among the most detrimental. Think of rainforests. Slash and burn joined forces with unsustainable farming to seriously damage jungles and wreak havoc on the atmosphere.

Our ancestors farmed responsibly. Africa, Asia, Europe, everywhere. Our forefathers practiced responsible forestry, too, or they wound up with a desert or grassland. Irresponsible industry isn’t the only threat our lands face. Drought, floods, wildfire, and who knows how many other dangers threaten our earth.

Here we have a brand-new magazine, The Environmental Record, and a column fresh off the press, Farms and Forestry, where we dig in to get agriculture and forestry on the record.

In the United States President Trump is well into the first summer of his second term and he shows no signs of slowing down. The commander in chief will never run for a public election again, so his goals are unique. He’s building his legend and legacy with legislation that will define him in our history books.

The citizens are divided on environmental matters, as with many facets of life. The president’s maneuvers in farm and forestry will have drastic effects in years to come. To some, at long last. To others, the administration’s environmental shift may devastate the natural world.

At The Environmental Record, our job is to report the facts as best we can, leaving judgement to you. And so, with every effort to set aside personal opinions, here we go…

A tale of two Europe’s played out over the summer in agriculture and forestry. Areas in the continent’s south and east suffered through heat waves, drought, and unprecedented wildfires. Conversely, northwest Europe experienced mostly favorable conditions and this year’s yield is expected to be fair for most crops. EU politics were a mixed bag; while new protections were proposed for farm and forestry, negotiations have stalled and the future of many current policies are in jeopardy.

Africa was another story of contrasts. While dealing with an increasing food insecurity crisis, some agricultural regions experienced drought, floods, and wildfire resulting in severe crop loss while others had plenty of rain and are expected to have a good harvest. Asia was much of the same, with typhoons adding to the difficulties.

A July 18 news release from Natural Resources Canada announced the establishment of the new Wildfire Resilience Consortium of Canada (WRCC). The 11.7 million investment will go toward protecting Canada’s assets and people and supporting others affected by wildfire while respecting traditional indigenous fire stewardship knowledge. WRCC will join Canadian and international experts together to share and collaborate wildlands firefighting information and technology.

The United States had a good season for agriculture and most crops are expected to be plentiful. While undergoing a major reorganization over the summer, the USDA announced 16 billion in crop loss assistance and enhanced crop insurance benefits. The United States Forestry Service has been busy, with Montana’s Shared Stewardship Agreement in June, July’s Wood Innovation Grants, and August’s advancement of the rescission of 2021’s Roadless Rule and the Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production order.

As we head into the harvest season we look forward to several farm and forestry events. Agriculture has the World Food Forum in Rome, Italy from October 10–17, 2025, the Global Summit on Agriculture & Organic Farming in Paris from October 23–24, and Agritechnica and EuroTier in Hanover, Germany in the middle of November. In forestry we have the International Union of Forest Research Organizations Conference in Beijing, China, October 9-11, the United Nations Forum on Forests in Istanbul, Türkiye from October 20–22, and the UN’s Mainstreaming Forest Biodiversity in Panama City, Panama on October 22.

Farms and Forestry

Warren Joseph