{"id":14636,"date":"2021-04-22T11:28:39","date_gmt":"2021-04-22T18:28:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/calcanstaging.kinsta.cloud\/?p=14636"},"modified":"2021-04-22T11:30:55","modified_gmt":"2021-04-22T18:30:55","slug":"agriculture-resilience-act-delivers-bold-vision-for-net-zero-agriculture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/calclimateag.org\/es\/agriculture-resilience-act-delivers-bold-vision-for-net-zero-agriculture\/","title":{"rendered":"Agriculture Resilience Act Delivers Bold Vision for Net Zero Agriculture"},"content":{"rendered":"

This blog is\u00a0 excerpted from a National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)<\/a> press release. NSAC advocates for federal policy reform for the sustainability of food systems, natural resources, and rural communities and CalCAN is a member. See the original post here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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Washington, DC, April 22, 2021 \u2013\u00a0<\/em>Today, Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA), which outlines a farmer-focused, research-driven path to net zero agriculture. This Earth Week, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is proud to endorse a bill delivering a bold vision for the future of agriculture. The ARA will refocus federal conservation, research, renewable energy, and rural economic development programs on climate resilience and empower farmers and ranchers eager to drive climate change solutions on the ground.<\/p>\n

Farmers and ranchers know the fundamental threat that the climate crisis poses to their livelihoods and the viability of agriculture and\u00a0have called on Congress<\/a>\u00a0to support them as they implement climate stewardship practices and build resilience to climate stresses. In response to American producers, Representative Pingree (D-ME) and Senator Heinrich (D-NM) offer the ARA and express their commitment:<\/p>\n

\u201cExtreme weather events are upending farmers\u2019 bottom lines, threatening their businesses and risking the future of our food supply. Congress must work to keep farmers on their land, and we must work to empower those farmers to implement climate-smart practices that reduce the nation\u2019s greenhouse gas emissions and increase their resilience in the face of climate change,<\/em>\u201d\u00a0said Congresswoman Pingree. \u201cThe Agriculture Resilience Act focuses on solutions that are farmer-driven in order to reach net-zero emissions in this sector by 2040. Climate change deserves a whole-of-government approach, and I\u2019m looking forward to working with the Biden administration to ensure farmers have a seat at the table as we work to address the climate crisis.<\/em>\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cNew Mexico\u2019s farmers and ranchers, whose livelihoods depend on the health of our land and water, are on the frontlines of the climate crisis and know all too well the effects that extreme weather events can have on their operations. Through regenerative agriculture and soil management, our producers can simultaneously make their land more resilient and play a large role in the fight against climate change,\u201d\u00a0said U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich.\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m proud to join\u00a0Congresswoman Pingree, an organic farmer of more than 40 years, to\u00a0introduce the Agriculture Resilience Act, which sets a national goal of achieving net-zero emissions in agriculture by 2040 through farmer-led, science-based initiatives. This legislation will make ambitious investments to help our farmers and ranchers improve soil health, expand conservation programs,\u00a0increase research into climate agricultural practices, and support on-farm renewable energy projects.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The ARA utilizes existing farm bill programs to keep farmers on the land and in business, while equipping them with the tools and resources they need to be active partners in our efforts to mitigate the climate crisis by doubling funding for conservation programs and tripling agricultural research funding.<\/p>\n

The bill was first introduced in the House last Congress and the reintroduced version of the bill, now with a Senate companion, incorporates important modifications. The new version has several co-sponsors in the Senate and House, including Senators Sanders (I-VT) and Gillibrand (D-NY), and Representatives Spanberger (D-VA), Khanna (D-CA), Carbajal (D-CA), Hayes (D-CT), McGovern (D-MA), and Kuster (D-NH).<\/p>\n

The new version of the ARA:<\/p>\n