Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Partnership Initiative
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a comprehensive set of investments to address challenges facing agricultural producers.
These include assistance for costs associated with drought, animal health, market disruptions for agricultural commodities, and school food supply chain issues.
Secretary Vilsack also outlined and requested public comments on a new climate partnership initiative designed to create new revenue streams for producers. Those would come through new market opportunities for commodities produced using climate-smart practices.
VILSACK: “ USDA might support of a group of dairy farmers seeking to reduce emissions from manure and increasing sequestration on cropland as part of their milk production system. We could fund corn and soybean producers interested in creating a climate-smart commodity for their retail buyer, which might also qualify them for participation in private market carbon credits or some other eco-system credit systems. We could resource a biofuel company in its development in a low carbon biofuel, or help organic producers quantify the climate result of their organic practices. Each project would include measures to quantify and track the climate benefits over time.”
Vilsack speaking at the University of Colorado, added that USDA will take action to prevent the spread of African Swine Fever and other zootic diseases.
He said they want to hear from farmers, commodity groups, livestock producer groups, environmental organizations, ag businesses and technology companies, environmental market organizations, renewable energy organizations, Tribal organizations, and governments and organizations representing historically underrepresented producers. Comments can be sent through the USDA’s website.
