New Grant Program Would Boost Essential Research on Climate-Smart Agriculture

(April 19, 2021) Sens. Todd Young (R-IN), Tina Smith (D-MN), Mike Braun (R-IN) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced the bipartisan Conservation and Innovative Climate Partnership Act in the Senate.

“Research has always been the backbone of agricultural innovation, but over the past few decades, federal research dollars haven’t kept up with the growing need.

“As climate change increases the pressures on agriculture, farmers and their advisers will need to call upon the latest research to help them build climate resilience and maintain productivity.

“This bill would help close the research funding gap by creating a competitive grant program for land-grant universities to study climate-smart agriculture and deploy that information through the Cooperative Extension System.

“The grant program would be open to all land-grant universities, including historically Black universities and tribal colleges and universities. This is an important callout in the bill to make the grant program and the solutions it generates more inclusive.

“Environmental Defense Fund looks forward to working with Congress to advance this and other bills to enhance equitable agricultural climate resilience solutions that benefit all.”