by Tom Philpott, Grist
Highlights
Maine Democrat Chellie Pingree introduced the Agriculture Resilience Act which aims to maximize carbon sequestration on farm and grazing lands.
- The act aims to establish a national goal of net-zero greenhouse emissions from agriculture by no later than 2040, add more funding to food and agriculture research, maximize carbon capture on grazing lands, and reduce food waste by 75%
- The Resilience Act also aims to maintain year-round cover on at least 75% of cropland in order to prevent erosion, create buffers during storms, and encourage more soil sequestration
- The act will make it a requirement for farms to present a soil health plan to the U.S. Department of Agriculture in order to qualify for crop insurance subsidies
- Though the bill will probably fail in a divided congress, it will set the stage for including agriculture in climate resiliency efforts in 2021
The Climate Center advocates for policies to fund and support carbon sequestration through healthy soils to achieve greenhouse gas emissions reductions at the speed and scale required by the science.
Read more: https://grist.org/climate/what-would-it-take-to-get-more-farmers-fighting-climate-change/
Nina Turner
Energy Programs and Communications CoordinatorJanina is a graduate of the Energy Management and Design program at Sonoma State University with experience in non-profits that specialize in sustainability and volunteerism.
