AFBF Issues Support for Climate-Smart Commodity Proposals

The American Farm Bureau Federation today sent letters of support to five organizations that have submitted proposals to USDA’s Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities program. USDA is investing $1 billion in pilot projects that create market opportunities for U.S. agricultural and forestry products that use climate-smart practices and include innovative, cost-effective ways to measure and verify greenhouse gas benefits.

An AFBF review committee, made up of American and state Farm Bureau staff, placed a high priority on projects that reflect objectives laid out by AFBF and state Farm Bureaus during USDA’s request for information process. While other projects may meet those goals, the review committee decided to focus on projects developed or supported by state Farm Bureaus.

“We are encouraged by the proposals submitted to USDA to create climate-smart projects that benefit both the environment and America’s farmers and ranchers,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “Farmers have always found innovative ways to tackle the challenges they face. These projects are an example of that innovative spirit. The voluntary, market-driven proposals we support will help farmers and ranchers reach their conservation goals while ensuring they keep dinner on the table for families across the country.”

AFBF wrote letters in support for the following USDA Climate-Smart Commodities proposals:

• North Carolina Farm Bureau Foundation’s “NC Climate Wise Farm Program”;
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Illinois Farm Bureau’s “Agricultural Partnerships to Reinforce Incentives for Climate-smart Expansion of the Supply-chain (AgPRICES)”;
• Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s support of the Noble Research Institute’s “Climate-smart commodities: incentives and markets in support of GHG emission reductions and soil health across United States grazing lands and silvopastures”;
• Florida Farm Bureau’s support of The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at University of Florida’s pilot project, “Climate Smart Beef, Dairy and Forestry from the Southeast”;
• Tennessee Farm Bureau’s support of University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture’s “Climate Smart Grasslands – the Root of Agricultural Carbon Markets.”

AFBF and state Farm Bureaus are committed to ensuring the projects that USDA accepts meet climate goals while remaining voluntary and market-based.