New Alliance to Tackle Climate Change

New Ag Alliance to Tackle Climate Change

by Lisa M. Keefe, meatingplace.com

An alliance of groups representing farmers, forest owners, the food sector, state governments and environmental advocates has unveiled a set of recommendations to guide the development of federal climate policy.

The Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance (FACA) was formed in February 2020 by four groups that now co-chair the alliance: American Farm Bureau Federation, Environmental Defense Fund, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, and National Farmers Union. The alliance has since expanded to include FMI - The Food Industry Association, National Alliance of Forest Owners, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture and The Nature Conservancy.

Several of the FACA organizations also are members of Farmers for a Sustainable Future, which also was created in February 2020, and includes the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the National Pork Producers Council.

Together, the group developed more than 40 recommendations based on three principles: agricultural and forestry climate policies must be built upon voluntary, incentive-based programs and market-driven opportunities; they must promote resilience and adaptation in rural communities; and they must be science-based.

“We are proud to have broken through historical barriers to form this unique alliance focused on climate policy,” said Zippy Duvall, FACA Co-chair and President of the American Farm Bureau Federation. “We began discussions not knowing whether we would ultimately reach agreement. It was important to me to reject punitive climate policy ideas of the past in favor of policies that respect farmers and support positive change. Our final recommendations do just that.”

Overview of climate policy recommendations

Federal policy can and should provide incentives and support for farmers, ranchers, and forest owners as they tackle the challenges created by climate change. Our policy recommendations cover six areas of focus: soil health, livestock and dairy, forests and wood products, energy, research, and food loss and waste.

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Ї These recommendations include: Providing voluntary, incentive-based tools for farmers, ranchers and forest owners to maximize the sequestration of carbon and the reduction of other greenhouse gas emissions as well as increase the resilience of the land. Supporting the development of and overseeing private sector markets for GHG credits. Promoting public and private sector tools to incentivize farmers, ranchers, and forest owners to prioritize and scale climate-smart practices. Offering incentives for farmers to reduce energy consumption, increase use of on-farm renewable energy, and

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Ї make continued progress toward reducing the lifecycle GHG emissions of agriculture- and forestry-based renewable energy. Streamlining consumer-facing packaging and implementing a public-private partnership to reduce the GHG impact of food waste and loss within the food value chain. Increasing federal investment in agriculture, forestry, and food-related research substantially and continuously.

For more information on the group and its recommendations, visit agclimatealliance.com ▫

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