“profitability and economic sustainability is the biggest challenge we have,” said steve verett, the executive vice president for plains cotton growers, with strategic environmental action playing a key role in overcoming those economic challenges.

one area that needs further action? education on sustainable practices, as a lack of it in the past has taken an environmental toll with an aquifer quickly drying up.

“there’s going to be a lot of things we need to be looking at, but the fact of the matter is we are transitioning into dryland agriculture,” verett said.

however, verett and other farmers are hopeful that new developments in seed production can allow them to continue with their levels of production.

janice person, the online engagement director for bayer, the multinational pharmaceutical company that just acquired monsanto last year, says less water-dependent cotton is something her company has been focusing heavily on. “our breeders have been working on that stuff for 20 years.”

past the issue of water scarcity, farmers are also facing the rise of weeds resistant to roundup—a popular herbicide produced by bayer, according to a report in the new york times in 2010.

herbicide-resistant weeds are a factor that have led to a reduction in more environmentally friendly practices like no-till farming. once resistant weeds move into a field, farmers often have to resort to more toxic chemicals or tilling, which leads to increased run off and erosion.

farmers “want to be economically viable, but leave what they have in as good or better shape than how they found it,” verett said.

one of the largest food producing regions of the world, the central valley is home to massive industrial agriculture operation, small organic farmers, and plant breeders working to stay relevant in a quickly changing industry full of skeptical consumers. 

according to bayer’s holly butka, “it’s a multi-pronged force,” the necessary push to sustainable crops is being driven by consumer demand, the economics of farming and the development of technology helps farmers operate more efficiently.

ultimately though it is a consumer-driven market and farmers and seed companies like bayer want to produce products consumers will buy. when main concerns of consumers are taste, appearance, and sustainability, farmers and seed suppliers have their work cut out for them.

click through the slideshow above to learn more.