Our communities, our state, and our country are at a crossroads, facing the intersection of energy security, food security, and property rights.

Missouri Farm Bureau (MOFB) supports American energy production and American energy security, but recent Federal incentives have skewed the marketplace in a direction that is rapidly changing the landscape of rural Missouri. Decisions to fund special interest projects have led to the loss of productive farm ground, without understanding the impact this will have on farm and ranch families all across the country. Going forward, it’s important for policymakers to better understand the impacts that large-scale green energy projects have on rural communities, property rights, and food security.

This is precisely why the MOFB Foundation for Agriculture has pledged financial support for the University of Missouri’s new Center for Rural Energy Security (CRES). This first of its kind research program/branch/arm/thinktank will exclusively focus on the impact of energy policies on rural communities. We owe it to Missourians to provide a true cost-benefit analysis of these projects to determine their effect on production agriculture and rural main street without the influence of special interest groups. That’s exactly what CRES will be able to provide. We are proud to support analysis that will provide the knowledge for objective decision-making on future projects that can have long-term implications on our state’s agricultural resources. The University of Missouri is well-positioned to provide this analysis, as they are already recognized for their work in many areas of research, including agriculture policy analysis that is used widely to inform legislators as they craft farm policy at the federal level.

Contrary to claims made by some special interest groups, MOFB is not opposed to energy production. We support policies that advance our state without sacrificing the resources that drive Missouri’s agricultural economy. MOFB is committed to financially supporting unbiased research that will provide Missourians with factual data so elected leaders can make informed decisions. We want to help find sensible solutions to help all Missourians.

CRES will be a national leader in addressing rural energy issues. Researchers will focus on the implications that federal and state energy policies have on agriculture, rural communities, and property rights.

As more wind and solar projects come online, productive farm ground is lost and taken out of service. The energy produced by these projects is primarily sent to urban areas and has minimal benefit to local residents and rural communities who depend on agriculture. We need more research to determine if the cost to Missouri’s agriculture industry and rural communities is worth it. While these green energy companies tout dollars on the front end of projects, they offer little insight on the years to come. What is the long-term impact as land values rise and farm acreage is lost, especially when new technologies come along and special interest green energy dollars find a new “next best thing?” What happens when “green projects” are left to rot on private ground, as green energy tech companies jump to the next land grab opportunity? It’s not just about today, but also about tomorrow and the opportunities, livelihoods and the communities in rural Missouri for future generations to call home.

CRES will be a partnership between the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, and the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Missouri. MOFB is committed to protecting landowners’ rights, supporting Missouri’s top economic driver: agriculture, and supporting critical research on rural energy issues to benefit Missourians.