Yesterday, the White House and the Department of Agriculture convened a roundtable with leaders from 15 agriculture, conservation, and environmental organizations to discuss President Biden’s historic investments in climate-smart agriculture and forestry through the Inflation Reduction Act and Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities. America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners play a critical role in addressing the climate crisis through the deployment of climate-smart practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase storage of carbon in soils and trees, improve land and forest health through conservation and restoration, and create new revenue streams. Recent investments provide a historic opportunity to scale up the implementation of these climate solutions while also supporting our rural communities and creating new economic opportunities for farmers and rural communities.
Participants stressed the importance of ensuring these tools work for operations of all sizes, and address barriers to access and ensure equity in program delivery. Officials sought feedback from participants on the implementation of these investments and the work their organizations and partners are doing to implement and scale up climate-smart agriculture and forestry solutions. Administration officials and stakeholders mutually agreed that in order to build a stronger rural economy and address the climate crisis through agriculture and forestry solutions, solutions should be locally led, innovative, and driven by the latest science. The discussion also highlighted the critical role of efforts to measure, monitor, report, and verify the carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions reductions resulting from these efforts.
The discussion emphasized the importance of protecting the Inflation Reduction Act investments and ensuring the continued availability of funds and assistance because of their positive impact on farm income, among other reasons. Participants highlighted the importance of technical assistance and staffing to support the implementation of climate-smart practices and systems, as well as the economic opportunities created through this assistance, especially in the face of extreme drought, storms, fires, and other pressures. Officials closed the meeting by reiterating the President’s commitment to investing in farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners and advancing climate-smart solutions and thanked participants for their engagement and feedback.
Agriculture, Conservation, and Environmental Participants
- American Farm Bureau Federation
- Environmental Defense Fund
- Farm Credit Council
- Federation of Southern Cooperatives
- League of Conservation Voters
- National Alliance of Forest Owners
- National Audubon Society
- National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
- National Farmers Union
- National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
- National Wildlife Federation
- Natural resources Defense Council
- Rural Coalition
- The Nature Conservancy
- World Wildlife Fund
White House and Department of Agriculture Participants
- Ali Zaidi, National Climate Advisor
- John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President
- Neera Tanden, Domestic Policy Advisor
- Matt Lee-Ashley, Chief of Staff, Council on Environmental Quality
- Kelliann Blazek, Special Assistant to the President for Agriculture and Rural Policy, Domestic Policy Council
- Alyssa Charney, Director for Lands and Climate-Smart Agriculture, Climate Policy Office
- Robert Bonnie, Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation, USDA
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