Climate-Focused Agriculture in AJP Act

Posted on May 31, 2021 by Taylor in Farming Resources, News, Policy, Politics // 0 Comments

Climate-Focused Agriculture in the American Jobs Plan Act and the President’s $6 Trillion Budget Request this Week from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)

Release: More Than 450 Organizations Urge Congress to Invest $200 Billion in Climate-Focused Agriculture Improvements in the American Jobs Plan Act

This week, NSAC sent a letter on behalf of more than 450 farm and rural development organizations and businesses from across the country, calling on Congressional leadership to invest more than $200 billion over ten years in climate-focused agriculture to bolster farm bill conservation, research, renewable energy, forestry, and regional food system and supply chain resilience programs, in addition to the agriculture, forestry, and rural-related elements already contained in the President’s American Jobs Plan.

Specifically, this letter underscores how an investment of $200 billion, anchored by principles and programs found in the bicameral Agriculture Resilience Act (H.R. 2803/S. 1337) and Climate Stewardship Act (H.R 2534/S. 1072), can address climate change and infrastructure needs.

Release: President Announces FY 2022 $6 Trillion Budget Request

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration released the President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Budget request. The detailed proposal for FY 2022 (October 1, 2021 – September 30, 2022) contains a significant increase in funding for the United States Department of Agriculture – nearly $4 billion in additional spending (+16.7%) that closely aligns with the President’s vision for major investments in infrastructure and jobs, outlined in the draft budget released earlier this year.

Conservation and climate change is a focus of the Administration’s budget with modest new funding dedicated to helping farmers adapt to and mitigate climate change. Research and extension programs would receive considerable new investments, and a number of additional food and farm programs would receive continued support.