Robert Bonnie Will Meet the Moment and Ramp Up Agricultural Climate Solutions

Statement from EDF President Fred Krupp

January 20, 2021
Hilary Kirwan, (202) 572-3277, hkirwan@edf.org

(WASHINGTON, DC) Robert Bonnie will be the deputy chief of staff for policy and senior adviser for climate in the Biden administration’s U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“Robert Bonnie is the right leader to meet the challenges of the moment. He’ll help USDA and farmers harness the full potential of agricultural climate solutions and quickly ramp up climate mitigation and resilience efforts.

“Throughout his career, Robert has shown that he doesn’t just see landscapes with the potential to produce food or sequester carbon. He sees the people who live and work on the land, and he involves them in crafting conservation solutions that also create economic opportunities for rural communities.

“Robert led EDF’s work on agriculture and forest conservation for more than a decade, and he developed market-based conservation solutions that compensated landowners for protecting and restoring wildlife habitat.

“As undersecretary for natural resources and environment at USDA, he managed essential farm bill conservation programs — the largest source of public funding for conservation on private lands.

“EDF is thrilled that Robert is returning to USDA. In this new role, he’ll be an ally to both farmers and the environment, bringing both together to address the climate challenges that agriculture is directly impacted by, and uniquely positioned to solve.”

# # #

One of the world’s leading international nonprofit organizations, Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org) creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. To do so, EDF links science, economics, law, and innovative private-sector partnerships. With more than 2.5 million members and offices in the United States, China, Mexico, Indonesia and the European Union, EDF’s scientists, economists, attorneys and policy experts are working in 28 countries to turn our solutions into action. Connect with us on Twitter and our Growing Returns blog.