Posted June 26, 2014
A year after the President’s Climate Action Plan, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) announced the availability of “Climate Change and Agriculture Recommendations for Farm Bill Conservation Program Implementation” document, according to an article on Agri-Pulse available here. KTIC also published the article here.
The document states principles and recommendations for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NCRS) to consider as it implements conservation programs under the 2014 Farm Bill.
“Farmers and ranchers have unique climate change solutions to offer,” said Jeff Schahczenski of the National Center for Appropriate Technology, based in Montana. “Changes in agricultural practices can help farmers and ranchers not only adapt to the consequences of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but also mitigate them.”
The NSAC document is based on a set of principles for addressing climate change adaptation and mitigation through NRCS conservation programs.
“NRCS programs help farmers prevent the degradation of critical natural resources, such as soil, water, air quality, and wildlife,” said Mark Schonbeck, Virginia Association for Biological Farming. “Surely, in this day and age, our climate rates as a most critical natural resource, one that merits NRCS assistance to those who produce our food and whose capacity to do so depends on a benign and stable future climate.”
NRCS is writing program rules that address the changes to conservation programs directed by the 2014 Farm Bill. The rules are expected to release this summer, according to the agency.
For more information on farm bills, please visit the National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
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