{"id":13621,"date":"2020-06-30T12:12:17","date_gmt":"2020-06-30T19:12:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/calcanstaging.kinsta.cloud\/?p=13621"},"modified":"2020-06-30T12:15:04","modified_gmt":"2020-06-30T19:15:04","slug":"agriculture-underscored-in-house-climate-committee-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/calclimateag.org\/es\/agriculture-underscored-in-house-climate-committee-report\/","title":{"rendered":"El informe de la Comisi\u00f3n del Clima de la C\u00e1mara de Representantes destaca la agricultura"},"content":{"rendered":"

This blog is reposted from the\u00a0National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)<\/a>, of which CalCAN is a member. NSAC advocates for federal policy reform for the sustainability of food systems, natural resources, and rural communities. See the original post\u00a0aqu\u00ed<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Major comprehensive federal legislation to deal with the global climate crisis is long overdue.\u00a0 While no bills are likely to become law this year, the time is ripe for piecing together the key components of a new law for consideration in the 117th<\/sup>\u00a0Congress (2021-22).\u00a0 Even before next year, the House of Representatives will engage in a trial run, voting on climate-related bills yet this year, though with the knowledge the bills are unlikely to be considered in the Senate or become law.<\/p>\n

While transportation, energy, and economic development generally get top billing in climate legislative discussions, food and agriculture has a major role to play in addressing climate disruption, as the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) has stated in our\u00a0Climate and Agriculture position paper<\/a>, a\u00a0farmer sign-on letter<\/a>\u00a0that is making the rounds, and in a\u00a0new NSAC blog series<\/a>\u00a0on the Agriculture Resilience Act (HR 5861).<\/p>\n

Farmers are on the frontlines of climate disruption and can play a substantial role in providing climate solutions. From a farmer perspective, it is worth celebrating the inclusion of an agriculture chapter in the long-awaited\u00a0action plan<\/a>\u00a0(one-pager<\/a>\u00a0of full report) of the\u00a0House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis<\/a>\u00a0that was released\u00a0today<\/a>.\u00a0 Chaired by Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL), the Select Committee was\u00a0empaneled<\/a>\u00a0back in February 2019 to pull together this national plan of action.<\/p>\n

The Select Committee\u2019s action plan lays out the steps Congress needs to take to put the country on a path to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The roadmap would kickstart economic recovery by investing in clean energy and jobs that value workers. The report centers around\u00a012 key pillars<\/a>, including investing in clean energy infrastructure, transforming domestic manufacturing of clean energy technology, investing in workers and a fair economy, advancing environmental justice, protecting and restoring U.S. natural resources, and promoting climate-resilient agriculture.<\/p>\n

The release of the Select Committee\u2019s report was originally scheduled for late March but was delayed by the novel coronavirus pandemic.\u00a0It is intended to serve as a template for eventual comprehensive legislation.<\/p>\n

NSAC released a\u00a0press comment<\/a>\u00a0on the report earlier today.<\/p>\n

Agriculture Recommendations<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Oregon Farmer Noah Williams builds soil with USDA NRCS. Photo credit: NRCS Oregon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

En\u00a0agriculture section<\/a>\u00a0of the Select Committee\u2019s report includes seven major components \u2013 increasing carbon sequestration and resilience, decreasing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, improving technical assistance and research, supporting on-farm renewable energy and energy efficiency, supporting the next generation of farmers, preserving farmland, and reducing food waste.<\/p>\n

These topic headings line up very well with the\u00a0Agriculture Resilience Act<\/a>\u00a0(ARA) introduced earlier this year by Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and\u00a0endorsed<\/a>\u00a0by NSAC.\u00a0 In fact, the new report makes repeated references to the ARA legislation, a bill which puts into detailed legislative language many of the recommendations highlighted by the Select Committee.\u00a0 When it comes time for the Agriculture Committees of Congress to write their sections of comprehensive climate legislation or the climate-relevant sections of the next federal farm bill, the ARA will serve as a model to work from and further develop.<\/p>\n

Highlights from among the scores of Select Committee agriculture recommendations follow. \u00a0Provisions included in the ARA are denoted by an asterisk (*<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

1. Increase Agricultural Carbon Sequestration and Resilience Through Climate Stewardship Practices<\/strong><\/h3>\n

By providing financial and technical assistance for conservation tillage, cover crops, rotational grazing, resource-conserving crop rotations, perennials, advanced nutrient management, and agroforestry, Congress can help America\u2019s farmers and ranchers implement climate stewardship practices while increasing profitability and making their farms more resilient to the impacts of climate change. Specific recommendations include:<\/p>\n