What’s the Farm Bill? 

The first Farm Bill dates back to the 1930s when America was at the height of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl was ripping across the Great Plains. When the Agricultural Adjustment Act passed in 1933 as part of the New Deal, the legislation’s intent was to keep food prices fair for farmers and consumers, while preserving natural resources to stop future environmental disasters like the Dust Bowl. 

Today, the Farm Bill is a package of legislation that Congress renews every five years. This legislation governs policies related to the agricultural sector, including farm income support and food assistance. The most recent Farm Bill expired on September 30, 2023, and Congress has already begun drafting text to reauthorize the newest version.

Now, just as farmers of the 1930s required federal intervention to avert another environmental disaster like the Dust Bowl, today’s farmers need federal support through the 2023 Farm Bill to help conserve their lands and adapt to the climate crisis. 

How Can the Farm Bill Help Tackle the Climate Crisis?

From the crop-damaging floods in Vermont to livestock-killing heatwaves in Nebraska,  the climate crisis is harming rural and agricultural communities right now. Many of America’s farms, especially small-scale family farms, operate on razor-thin profit margins, and increasingly severe weather events are disrupting their operations and hitting their pocketbooks hard.

At the same time, the agricultural sector currently makes up over 10 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas pollution. These harmful emissions stem from diverse sources. For example, over-using fertilizers on crops releases nitrous oxide, a planet-warming greenhouse gas that is 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Livestock like cattle, sheep, and goats produce methane pollution as they digest their food, while manure deposits result in nitrous oxide and methane pollution. Together, these potent greenhouse gasses trap heat in the atmosphere and drive climate change. 

1. USDA’s Programs Crack Down on Climate Pollution, While Making Rural Communities More Climate Resilient

Climate-smart practices help farmers tackle environmental and water pollution, while also cutting planet-warming methane and nitrous oxide pollution. For example, planting medium- or long-term cover crops helps sequester carbon dioxide into soils, while also trapping excess nitrogen. Similarly, planting native trees or shrubs sequesters and stores carbon, while helping prevent erosion. And cracking down on excess fertilizer through nutrient management reduces planet-warming nitrous oxide pollution and water contamination. 

At the same time, climate-smart agriculture practices can increase climate resilience during extreme weather events. For example, cover crops and no-till practices increase soil health and water-holding capacity, making crops more resilient to intensifying droughts or floods. 

We can’t afford to disinvest in farm operations, farm workers, and rural communities that supply America’s food during a mounting climate crisis. Our food systems must be protected from the climate crisis, and shouldn’t unnecessarily contribute to it—climate-smart agriculture programs will help with just that. 

2. USDA’s Programs Are Popular and Have More Applicants Than Available Spots

Application statistics show that USDA’s existing conservation programs are popular and beneficial and consistently have more applicants than available spots. Take, for example, the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). 

Each program is regularly inundated with applications from farmers and producers. Last year alone, CSP and EQIP rejected more than 110,000 farmers. According to a USDA presentation in August 2023 and a recent press release, even with additional IRA funds, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the USDA body that administers these programs, still receives more requests for each of these programs than there is available funding.

What’s more, support for these programs remains strong, with 644 organizations, businesses, and farmers sending a letter to Congress to protect the $19.5 billion in climate-smart agriculture conservation programs through the 2023 Farm Bill. 

Revoking needed funding for USDA’s climate-smart agriculture and conservation programs would be a mistake for farmers, their communities, and our environment—especially when these programs are consistently in high demand and benefit all farmers and ranchers. 

3. USDA’s Programs Deliver Real Economic Benefits to Farming Communities 

Climate-smart agriculture practices put money in farmers’ pockets. For example, lowering inputs of fertilizer doesn’t just mean less pollution—it also translates to cost savings for farmers. These savings are significant when fertilizer accounts for nearly one-fifth of farmers’ cash costs. Similarly, the ACEP program’s conservation easements deliver concrete economic benefits to farmers. By donating development rights, farmers receive a significant tax reduction, allowing them to keep farming with lower taxes. Losing climate-smart agriculture funds could render farms more vulnerable to severe weather impacts like flooding and drought, destabilizing small farmers’ economic security. 

The economic benefits of these programs are also far-reaching. The White House estimates that this IRA funding supports up to 280,000 farmers and ranchers with conservation efforts across approximately 125 million acres of land. 

It’s no wonder why the demand for USDA’s climate-smart agriculture programs exceeds the availability of funds. They deliver real economic benefits to rural communities, while making rural communities more climate resilient. It’s time for Congress to protect USDA’s $19.5 billion in climate-smart agriculture programs in the 2023 Farm Bill.