Washington, D.C. — Federal funding for climate-smart agriculture benefiting all 50 states could be at risk, according to a new column from the Center for American Progress that urges Congress not to redirect funds meant to help farmers, forest landowners, and ranchers more sustainably manage their lands.
The chair of the House Committee on Agriculture has proposed moving billions of dollars away from climate-smart agriculture in the next farm bill, the column warns. That could undermine investments made by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for producers to implement climate-smart agriculture and conservation measures on their land.
The next farm bill should be an opportunity to support these historic investments, not undercut them, the column argues. CAP’s analysis of new data explores the geographic distribution of climate-smart agriculture funding and further confirms that farmers, forest landowners, and ranchers in every state benefit from this funding.
If Congress redistributes the remaining funds, the climate and conservation benefits of potential future projects may not be realized. That means farmers may never receive the financial support they need.
Read the column: “Federal Funding That Benefits Farmers in Every State Is At Risk” by Mariel Lutz and Jasia Smith
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].