the facts behind the ads

Did you know that 280 pounds of fertilizer are used to produce just one acre of corn?

According to the US Department of Agriculture, the average amount of nitrogen fertilizer used per acre of corn in the United States was 138 pounds. An additional 58 pounds of phosphate fertilizers and 84 pounds of potash (potassium fertilizer) were used on average per acre of corn in the same year, applied to 96 percent of all acres of corn produced. That's a total of 280 pounds of fertilizer per acre of corn.

When you consider that there are around 80 million acres of land dedicated to growing corn in this country, you're looking at a total of over 11 million tons of fertilizer used per year - fertilizer that pollutes our rivers, streams, oceans, and water supply. This threatens wildlife dependent on these water sources as well as our own health and safety.

Some other facts about corn in the United States (from the USDA):

  • Corn is the most widely produced feed grain in the United States, accounting for more than 90 percent of total value and production of feed grains.
  • Around 80 million acres of land are planted to corn, with the majority of the crop grown in the Heartland region.
  • Most of the crop is used as the main energy ingredient in livestock feed.
  • Corn is also processed into a multitude of food and industrial products including starch, sweeteners, corn oil, beverage and industrial alcohol, and fuel ethanol.
  • The United States is a major player in the world corn trade market, with approximately 20 percent of the corn crop exported to other countries.

 

Did you know that 75 lbs. of solid waste are produced to make one 6 oz. cup of yogurt?

According to a life cycle assessment of Stonyfield Farms' packaging by the Center for Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan, 34 kg - or 74.8 lbs. - of solid waste are created in the production of one 6 oz. cup of yogurt. This includes the manufacturing of the cup itself, the many distribution phases of production, the making of the yogurt, and end-of-the-line processes. Make sure to recycle your yogurt cups!

CSS chart
Solid waste produced in the life cycle of cups of yogurt of various sizes.
(Source: Center for Sustainable Systems.)

 

Photography for this campaign provided by Millicent Harvey Photography

 

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