Iowa farmers embracing water quality initiatives – iowafarmbureau.com

Iowa’s “Batch and Build” Conservation Model: A Report on Advancing Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

In Iowa, an innovative “batch and build” model is accelerating the implementation of on-farm conservation practices to improve water quality. This farmer-led initiative unites agricultural producers, government agencies, and private industry partners to construct edge-of-field projects, such as saturated buffers and bioreactors, at scale. These efforts directly contribute to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), most notably SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), SDG 15 (Life on Land), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), by reducing nutrient runoff and enhancing ecosystem health.

Project Analysis: The Middle Cedar Watershed Initiative

Objectives and Implemented Practices

A recent project in the Middle Cedar Watershed, spanning Grundy and Tama counties, exemplifies the model’s success. The initiative focused on reducing nutrient loss from agricultural lands in alignment with the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy (INRS).

• Total Practices Installed: 14 saturated buffers and 4 bioreactors.
• Landowners Involved: 11.
• Area Serviced: 2,658 acres across 24 tile outlets.
• Project Timeline: Surveying and engineering began in March 2024, with construction starting in summer 2025 and nearing completion.

Alignment with SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

The primary objective of the Middle Cedar project is to improve water quality, a core target of SDG 6. By implementing scientifically proven conservation practices, the initiative achieves measurable progress in protecting water resources.

1. Nutrient Reduction: The project is estimated to reduce nitrate loss from treated tile outlets by approximately 50%, preventing these nutrients from entering local waterways.
2. Protection of Drinking Water: The project is located in a watershed that supplies drinking water for the City of Cedar Rapids. By reducing nitrate levels at the source, the initiative helps lower water treatment costs and ensures safer drinking water for downstream communities.
3. Long-Term Water Management: The installed saturated buffers are designed to function for several decades with minimal maintenance, providing a durable, long-term solution for water filtration that does not interfere with crop production.

Collaborative Framework and Stakeholder Engagement

Contribution to SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The “batch and build” model is fundamentally a multi-stakeholder partnership, demonstrating the collaborative spirit required to achieve the SDGs. The success of the Middle Cedar project was dependent on the coordinated efforts of a diverse group of actors.

Key Partners and Roles

• Farmers and Landowners: Provided land and demonstrated a commitment to conservation. The model required no out-of-pocket expenses from participants.
• Agricultural Cooperatives: Heartland Co-op provided project management, conservation expertise, and coordination.
• Government Agencies: The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) offered technical, design, and engineering support, along with cost-share funding.
• Industry and Non-Profit Organizations: The Iowa Seed Association (ISA), Agriculture’s Clean Water Alliance, BASF, Syngenta, and Unilever provided private funding and helped recruit participants.
• Technical Service Providers: ISG Inc. and Laser Precision managed design and construction, respectively.

Environmental Impact and Broader SDG Contributions

Advancing SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land)

The project’s benefits extend beyond local water quality, contributing to the health of broader aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. By addressing nutrient pollution at its source, the initiative supports the targets of SDG 14 and SDG 15.

• Protecting Downstream Ecosystems (SDG 14): The reduction of nutrient runoff into Iowa’s waterways helps mitigate hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico, a key goal of the INRS and a direct contribution to protecting marine life.
• Enhancing Terrestrial Ecosystems (SDG 15): Conservation practices like buffer strips limit soil erosion, preserving topsoil and maintaining the long-term productivity and health of Iowa’s farmland. This enhances local ecosystem services and promotes sustainable land management.

Scalability and Future Outlook

Expansion of the “Batch and Build” Model

The success in the Middle Cedar Watershed has catalyzed further action. Heartland Co-op is leading additional projects, demonstrating the model’s scalability and its potential for statewide impact.

1. Lower Cedar Watershed: A recently completed project installed 15 bioreactors and 26 saturated buffers. A second project is planned.
2. Marshall and Poweshiek Counties: A new batch and build project is scheduled for 2026.
3. Diversification of Practices: Future efforts will expand to include oxbow wetland restorations, further enhancing biodiversity and water retention capabilities.

Long-Term Vision and Financial Sustainability

To ensure the longevity of these conservation efforts, partners are establishing sustainable funding mechanisms. Heartland Co-op has developed a small conservation endowment fund to provide a reliable source of financing for future projects and fill potential funding gaps. This forward-thinking approach ensures that progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals can continue, driven by strong public-private partnerships and farmer leadership.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

• The article’s primary focus is on improving water quality in Iowa’s waterways by reducing nutrient runoff from farms. This directly addresses the goal of ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. The text explicitly mentions efforts to provide “cleaner water downstream” and help with “drinking water” for cities like Cedar Rapids.

SDG 14: Life Below Water

• The article states that the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy (INRS) is a “science-based approach to reduce nutrients delivered to Iowa’s waterways and the Gulf of America.” By implementing practices to reduce nutrient runoff, the project aims to mitigate land-based pollution that affects marine ecosystems, which is a core component of SDG 14.

SDG 15: Life on Land

• The conservation practices discussed, such as buffer strips, are noted to “limit erosion” and “protect what we have” (soil). The article also mentions improving “ecosystem services” and future plans for “oxbow wetland restorations,” which are actions aimed at protecting, restoring, and promoting the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• The “batch and build” model is described as a collaborative effort uniting “farmers, agencies and industry partners.” The article details a multi-stakeholder partnership involving Heartland Co-op, landowners, government bodies (IDALS), and private companies (BASF, Syngenta, Unilever), which exemplifies the spirit of SDG 17 in mobilizing resources and expertise to achieve sustainable development.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

• Target 6.3: By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution. The entire project is designed to achieve this target by installing saturated buffers and bioreactors to “reduce nutrient runoff” and “reduce nitrate loss.” The article highlights that these practices are “actively working to improve water quality.”
• Target 6.6: By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems. The project contributes to this target by implementing conservation practices that filter water before it enters waterways. Furthermore, the article explicitly mentions future plans for “doing oxbow wetland restorations,” which is a direct action to restore a water-related ecosystem.

SDG 14: Life Below Water

• Target 14.1: By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including… nutrient pollution. The article connects the local actions in Iowa to the larger goal of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy, which is to “reduce nutrients delivered to Iowa’s waterways and the Gulf of America,” directly addressing the reduction of nutrient pollution from a land-based source.

SDG 15: Life on Land

• Target 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil… and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world. The article quotes a farmer stating that conservation measures “limit erosion” and emphasizes the importance of protecting the soil (“We’re not making any more (soil), so let’s protect what we have”). These actions contribute to restoring and maintaining soil health.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships. The “batch and build” model is a clear example of this target in action. The article details the partnership between a co-op (Heartland), a government agency (IDALS), private industry (BASF, Syngenta), non-profits (Iowa Seed Association), and landowners to successfully implement the water quality projects.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

• Indicator for Target 6.3: The article provides a direct quantitative measure of pollution reduction: the project “is estimated to reduce nitrate loss leaving the tile outlet… by approximately 50%.” This serves as a key performance indicator for water quality improvement.
• Indicator for Target 6.6: Progress can be measured by the number and scale of implemented conservation practices. The article specifies the installation of “14 saturated buffers and four bioreactors” in the Middle Cedar project and “15 bioreactors and 26 saturated buffers” in the Lower Cedar Watershed. The area of land being managed is also an indicator: “servicing 2,658 acres.”

SDG 14: Life Below Water

• Indicator for Target 14.1: The reduction of nitrate loss (estimated at 50%) from farm fields is an implied indicator for this target, as it measures the reduction of land-based nutrient pollution that would otherwise flow downstream to marine environments like the Gulf of Mexico.

SDG 15: Life on Land

• Indicator for Target 15.3: While not providing a quantitative metric, the article implies that a reduction in soil erosion is an indicator of progress. The statement that conservation measures “limit erosion” suggests that monitoring soil loss would be a way to measure the success of these practices in protecting and restoring land.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• Indicator for Target 17.17: The success and scale of the partnership can be measured by the number of stakeholders involved. The article mentions “Eleven landowners are part of the current batch” and lists numerous partners, including Heartland Co-op, IDALS, Iowa Seed Association, BASF, Syngenta, and Unilever. The creation of a “small conservation endowment fund” is another indicator of a sustainable, long-term partnership strategy.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: iowafarmbureau.com