At Ceres, we typically make any yieldenhancing improvements (e.g., irrigation, drainage) within the first year we own a farm (often before the next planting) and lease that farm to top local family farmers who have the sophistication and the technology to optimize yields with minimum inputs. Today, leading farmers, including over 80% of Ceres’ tenants, utilize a suite of tools collectively known as Precision Agriculture to maximize yields while minimizing inputs World Yield of Key Crops (Metric Tons Per Hectare) 6 5 4 3 2 1 1972
1979
1986
1993 Corn
Wheat
2000
2007
2014
2021
Soybean
Source: USDA
(e.g., seed, fertilizer, chemicals). Farmers can target fertilizer only along the row of seeds, so they are not wasting nutrients on the space between the rows where the plants’ root systems can’t efficiently absorb them and where the leftover nutrients can end up as runoff. Farmers can also vary the seeding density and the application of fertilizer across a field to reflect variations in soil, as well as target use of herbicides, fungicides and pesticides to problem areas of fields to minimize usage. These hi-tech tools enable farmers to minimize inputs while optimizing yield.
Over the past 30 years, arable land has increased by less than 1% according to the FAO.
