By David Murry, High Plains Journal
A bill that, if passed, would give the U.S. Department of Agriculture authority to lay the groundwork and set standards for a “carbon farming” market was introduced in Congress April 20. The U.S. Senate Ag Committee planned to take up the Growing Climate Solutions Act April 22 during a committee hearing to coincide with Earth Day.
The bill was originally introduced last June but has since been refined and reworked after input from Republicans. Its title says its purpose is “to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a program to reduce barriers to entry for farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners in certain private markets, and for other purposes.” Read more here.
Photo Credit: USDA
Additional Recommended Reading
- State agriculture officials celebrate introduction of Growing Climate Solutions Act, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) News Release
- Biden seeks 50% cut in U.S. emissions, sees farming as carbon frontier, Successful Farming
“I see farmers deploying cutting-edge tools to make (the) soil of our Heartland the next frontier in carbon innovation,” said Biden.
Featured USDA Resource
Northern Plains Climate Hub
The Northern Plains Climate Hub serves Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota. The Hub delivers science-based knowledge, practical information, management & conservation strategies, and decision tools to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners with the goal of helping them adapt to weather variability and changing climatic conditions.
More Nebraska Resources
- 2021 Nebraska Cover Crop and Soil Health Conference Presentations Available Online, CropWatch / University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Soil Health In Nebraska, Natural Resources Conservation Service Nebraska
Additional National Legislation: The Agriculture Resilience Act
Agriculture Resilience Act a Thoughtful, Nuanced Approach to Climate Action, National Farmers Union News Release
“While the window is still open, we must take every possible opportunity to adapt to our changing climate and limit its impact. One key piece of the puzzle is the agriculture sector, which can not only work to reduce its own greenhouse gas emissions, but it can also offset other sectors’ emissions by sequestering carbon in the soil – a fact that the Agriculture Resilience Act recognizes and seeks to put into action. This thoughtful and nuanced bill would strategically further climate initiatives across USDA programs in an effort to provide farmers with the tools, resources, and assistance they need to implement climate-smart practices.” – NFU President Rob Larew
National Farmers Union
National Farmers Union advocates on behalf of nearly 200,000 American farm families and their communities. We envision a world in which farm families and their communities are respected, valued, and enjoy economic prosperity and social justice.
Nebraska Farmers Union
Founded in 1913, Nebraska Farmers Union is dedicated to protecting and enhancing the quality of life and economic well-being of family farmers and ranchers, and their rural communities. As Nebraska’s second largest family farm and ranch ag organization with over 4,000 family farm and ranch families as members, Nebraska Farmers Union is dedicated to the farm income issues which matter most to rural families. With active members across the state, Farmers Union is one of Nebraska’s oldest and strongest grassroots organizations.
