Ags Role in Climate Mitigation

The Ag industry is currently the only sector that both contributes and helps mitigate climate change. And honestly, it's been like that for a while. Across the country, farmers have been using strategies like crop rotation, cover crops, and rotational grazing for centuries, with data, now showing what farmers knew all along - careful planning of best management practices help reduce our impact on the environment while also increasing yields. Now, as other industries are looking at innovations that reduce their impact on the environment, many experts and leading officials are calling for Ag to lead the way.

With the changing of the presidential administration, Ag Secretary Nominee Tom Vilsack is going through his congressional hears and answering countless questions on what he sees agriculture's role being in the next few years. Vilsack says there are many opportunities for the agriculture sector to be on the front lines of mitigating climate change.

"Our soil is precious, we need to make sure we are investing in soil health. And we also frankly need to up our game on research. There are ways in with root systems of crops can potentially be designed in a way that will sequester more carbon. We ought to be exploring that, we ought to be looking at ways in which we can increase market opportunities for greater storage. I think agriculture is probably the first and best way to be getting some wins in this climate area. I think farmers are prepared for it. Farmers are anxious to do it. If it's voluntary, if it's market-based, if it's incentive-based, I think you will see farmers, ranchers, producers cooperate extensively."