During his recent Sustainability Series presentation at ASU's Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack discussed the U.S. farming industry's shift to renewable energy. Vilsack shared that, according to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, the number of farmers and ranchers transitioning to renewable energy has doubled since 2007. In fact,  solar panels accounted for nearly two-thirds of farms' energy-producing systems.

“The U.S. Department of Agriculture is partnering with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Energy to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and diversify our portfolio of biofuels and other renewable energy sources,” Vilsack said. “We are also engaging with universities like ASU to explore innovative solutions for challenges related to energy, food and sustainability.”

Vilsack also emphasized how developing a deeper understanding of agriculture's role in the future of energy, innovation and economic growth, particularly in rural areas, will be key to addressing global sustainability challenges.