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For more information about the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, and about training and career opportunities, please contact:

Undergraduate:
ugarec@ag.arizona.edu
Phone: (520) 621-6244

Graduate:
garec@ag.arizona.edu
Phone: (520) 621-2421

Related Links:

Nutrient Management - NRCS Ecological Sciences Division

Dung or Dollars?
The Impact of Manure on the Environment

America is knee-deep in manure. The booming cattle, pork, and poultry industries produced nearly 1.4 billion tons of animal waste last year—130 times more than the human population does. While some of the manure was used to fertilize cropland, much of it was stored in "lagoons"—pits of sludge a half-mile wide and 20 feet deep--that pose a threat to fresh air and clean water nationwide.

The magnitude of animal-waste pollution is just beginning to be documented. In 1995, heavy rains caused a lagoon spill of 35 million gallons of animal waste (three times the volume of oil spilled by the Exxon Valdez). The spill killed 10 million fish in coastal North Carolina. In the Gulf of Mexico, algae fed by waste runoff have depleted so much oxygen from a 7,000-square mile area that it no longer can support most aquatic life.

There are several economic approaches to controlling the environmental risks posed by animal wastes. Financial assistance programs can help farmers offset the costs for improved nutrient management. Taxes and government regulations may also induce better production practices. New markets for pollutants can be created with programs that transfer excess manure to areas needing additional nutrients. Finally, research may help develop cost-effective production practices that are less environmentally damaging.

Faculty Involvement
Robert Innes is currently working to identify more cost-effective ways to achieve nutrient management objectives.

Russell Tronstad has developed a comprehensive extension program in livestock economics and management.

Student Involvement
James Navin, M.S. graduate, is participating in an EPA-funded research project on identifying more cost-effective ways to achieve nutrient management objectives.

Hallie Northrop, M.S. Graduate, recently accepted a position at North Carolina State University working to identify ways to control the environmental risks posed by concentrated feedlot operations.

Additional Readings
Letson, D., and Gollehon, N. "Confined Animal Production and the Manure Problem." Choices (Third Quarter, 1996a): 18-22.

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