Growing Returns

USDA plans to improve climate data and empower farmers

By / Published: July 13, 2023
Researcher tests soybean viability at lab.

A better understanding of the big climate challenges facing U.S. agriculture and forestry will create better decisions about investments, research priorities and technical assistance. Photo from USDA ARS.

The Inflation Reduction Act made historic investments in rural and agricultural climate solutions, including providing $300 million to improve measurement, reporting and verification of the climate benefits of farm bill conservation programs. This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture shared a framework for how they intend to spend those funds over the next eight years.

These investments are much needed and will benefit farmers and the planet. But stakes are high. Implementation efforts should be prioritized to get resources on the ground as soon as possible, while also being grounded in the best science and maintaining high transparency.

USDA proposing this framework is a critical step in the process, and it gives stakeholders a chance to influence the foundation of climate-smart action moving forward. Read More »

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Three priorities for a climate-smart farm bill

By / Published: May 15, 2023

U.S. farmers and ranchers are already living with climate change. For example, they are facing shorter windows to get seeds in the ground and higher temperatures that can dry out soil faster. At the same time, agricultural production is a factor in climate change, contributing more than 10% of U.S. emissions. Congress owes it to farmers and ranchers to write a 2023 farm bill that does three things to advance climate-smart agriculture.

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The farm bill is a powerful opportunity for agricultural climate solutions

By / Published: February 22, 2023

U.S. farmers, ranchers and foresters will need additional tools and resources to protect their land, keep growing food on a changing planet and contribute to national efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That’s where the farm bill comes in.

The farm bill is a critical piece of legislation that comes up every five years. It authorizes programs that provide producers with a safety net in tough times and supports them in adopting climate-friendly production practices.

As Congress begins writing the next farm bill, new recommendations from the Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance provide some of the most significant alignment on climate and agriculture policy priorities to date. Read More »

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To address climate change, U.S. makes historic investment in rural America

By / Published: August 12, 2022

The U.S. is on the brink of making a historic investment in farmers, ranchers and rural communities, helping them cut emissions, prepare for climate impacts that are already here, and create good jobs along the way. The Inflation Reduction Act — which passed the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and which President Biden is expected to sign into law in the coming days — will direct about $20 billion toward agricultural conservation programs and nearly $14 billion toward clean energy for rural America.

To stabilize the climate and maintain a safe, vibrant planet, we need to transition to climate-smart agriculture and clean energy. This bill will expedite efforts already underway and jumpstart new ones.  

Here are the most impactful climate investments in rural America.  Read More »

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3 recent USDA wins and what the department should do next

By / Published: June 22, 2021

Over the past several weeks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has made important progress in advancing climate-smart agriculture and creating equitable opportunities for producers to be part of the climate solution.

Here are three recent examples of progress you may have missed in the news, plus next steps for the agency to continue this momentum. Read More »

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How USDA can leverage a carbon bank for farmers, foresters and the climate

By / Published: May 14, 2021

As the U.S. works to cut greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2030, the agriculture and forestry sectors have important contributions to make to reducing emissions and sequestering carbon, as well as building resilience to climate impacts that are already here.

A carbon bank run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture is one policy option to help increase and reward agriculture’s climate contributions. Although a carbon bank — broadly defined as a set of policy tools to direct funding to incentivize voluntary climate mitigation — has been the subject of heightened interest for the past several months, the concept remains amorphous because it’s new. USDA, Congress and impacted stakeholders are still figuring it out.

While the need to address climate change is urgent, it’s also essential to get a carbon bank right so that farmers, policymakers, carbon credit buyers and everyone who depends on a stable climate don’t lose faith in agricultural and forestry climate solutions.

Here are four ways that USDA can move forward on a carbon bank, even in the face of uncertainty, to leverage the power of farms and forests to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Read More »

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