Callie Eideberg: Growing Returns

Three policy priorities to make voluntary carbon markets work for the climate and agriculture.

The post How Congress can ensure voluntary carbon markets work for farmers and the environment first appeared on Growing Returns.

Guided by science, USDA can help harness the power of farms and forests to build climate resilience for all.

The post Top 5 priorities for USDA to support climate-smart farms and forests first appeared on Growing Returns.

Why both sides of the aisle, along with farmers and environmentalists, see such potential for agricultural climate solutions.

The post 3 ways the Growing Climate Solutions Act will help farmers and rural communities thrive first appeared on Growing Returns.

3 ways Congress can drive climate-smart practices on America’s farms, ranches and forests

The post Farmers and environmentalists team up to push Congress to act on climate first appeared on Growing Returns.

The National Corn Growers Association policies show that U.S. farmers want to address the climate risk that already impacts them.

The post Corn farmers endorsed climate policies. Here’s what you need to know. first appeared on Growing Returns.

These policies can help farmers thrive in a changing climate. And they have bipartisan support.

The post Congress just took two actions to boost climate resilience in agriculture first appeared on Growing Returns.

This is a critical moment for USDA to spur faster adoption of agricultural conservation practices that reduce climate risks to food production.

The post 3 must-haves for USDA to cut agriculture’s environmental footprint in half first appeared on Growing Returns.

This farm bill addresses conservation issues that aren't bound by a single farm's borders.

The post How the farm bill changes the future of climate and water conservation first appeared on Growing Returns.

Within the bill’s 1,200 pages are big advances for the environment, technology and innovation.

The post 5 reasons why the Senate farm bill is a conservation powerhouse first appeared on Growing Returns.

While much of the focus will be on the Conservation Stewardship Program and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, here are six additional conservation items to keep an eye on during markup.

The post What to watch for during today’s farm bill markup in the House first appeared on Growing Returns.

Here's how USDA data could revolutionize ag productivity and sustainability.

The Regional Conservation Partnership Program is a powerful engine for conservation. Now is the time to put it into overdrive.

Yesterday, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced a massive reorganization of the agency. Among other changes, the Secretary plans to create a new Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation to oversee the Farm Service Agency (FSA), the Risk Management Agency (RMA), and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Previously, NRCS reported to the Undersecretary […]

The U.S. Senate will confirm the Secretary of Agriculture today, empowering former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue to lead an agency with a $155 billion budget, some 100,000 employees and ultimate responsibility for our nation’s food security. Over 80 percent of this budget goes toward farm programs, food stamps, school meals and other mandatory spending programs. […]

Despite growing up without any real interest in conservation or farming, I now spend every working day knee deep in agricultural policy – and I love it. I grew up in the suburbs of Louisville, Kentucky, the daughter of a teacher and a salesman. My parents instilled in me a love and deep respect for […]

At the first field hearing for the 2018 Farm Bill held in Kansas last week, producers had one clear message for the Senate Agriculture Committee: the stakes for farmers have never been higher. Commodity prices are the lowest they’ve been in over a decade, and farmers’ incomes are predicted to drop nearly 10 percent this […]

By Callie Eideberg

Callie Eideberg, EDF's new senior policy manager for sustainable agriculture.

We often hear about the deep-rooted water quality challenges in the Chesapeake Bay, and how not enough progress is being made. While agriculture, urban/suburban runoff, vehicle emissions, and other sources share responsibility for the bay’s poor health, all too often farmers shoulder most of the blame.

Earlier this month, USDA released the Chesapeake Bay Progress Report, which revealed that since 2009, federal investments helped area farmers implement nearly $1 billion worth of conservation practices on more than 3.5 million acres and install nearly 3,500 miles of riparian buffers that reduce nutrient runoff into waterways. Between 2006 and 2011, farmer efforts reduced sediment loss by 15.1 million tons per year.

This is encouraging news, and part of the reason the overall health of the bay is improving. Supporting farmers and their livelihoods is key to solving the watershed’s environmental challenges. As the report notes, “a thriving and sustainable agricultural sector is critical to restoring the bay.”

There is still a lot of work to do. Because a significant increase in public funding is unlikely, relying too heavily on federal investment in voluntary conservation programs is not a good pathway to fully heal the bay.

Here are two ways that agriculture can further accelerate improvements in the watershed.

Support private sector momentum

Photo courtesy of SUSTAIN.

Private sector commitments to sustainable agriculture are on the rise. Environmental Defense Fund is working with Campbell Soup Company, Kellogg, Walmart, Unilever, Smithfield Foods, and through Land O’Lakes’ SUSTAIN® platform to help companies set and achieve sustainable sourcing goals and support farmers through tangible, economically smart improvements to their farming operations.

Getting the food sector on board is a game changer for agricultural sustainability, but if we don’t align key federal policies with this unprecedented supply chain momentum, we will hit roadblocks that will compromise progress and alienate stakeholders.

Federal policy has not kept pace with private sector innovation. One example is advances in precision agriculture. In many cases, federal programs encourage farmers to adopt older practices that are often less effective in reducing fertilizer losses or improving soil health, failing to provide farmers with access to more advanced tools for improving efficiency.

Keeping up with innovation would enable current federal investments to deliver far greater environmental benefits. It is time to have federal policies accelerate market demand for agricultural conservation instead of slow it down.

Increase impact of current programs

Credit: Chesapeake Bay Program

As the USDA report suggests, federal conservation programs have been successful in helping to reduce nutrient loading into the bay. But they can be even more effective by making a few adjustments, such as:

• Improving targeting of federal funds to the most important places and practices (e.g., the watersheds in most need of restoration).
• Streamlining program delivery and execution by reducing inefficient contracting requirements.
• Improving collaboration between USDA and the private sector advisors that work with the vast majority of U.S. farmers (ag retail, agronomists, etc.).

These changes will enable federal programs to better meet the needs of farmers and agribusinesses, resulting in more conservation on the ground.

With additional investments in innovation and collaboration with the private sector, we can return Chesapeake Bay to its former glory.