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Release: Farmers Shine Spotlight on Vital Impact of Climate Funding at the IRA Conservation and Farmers Roundtable

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Laura Zaks

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

lzaks@sustainableagriculture.net

Tel. 347.563.6408

Release: Farmers Shine Spotlight on Vital Impact of Climate Funding at the IRA Conservation and Farmers Roundtable

Washington, DC, January 11, 2024 – Today, members of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) hosted a public roundtable highlighting the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) transformational investments in climate and clean energy solutions for America’s food producers. Farmers from across the country discussed firsthand how the IRA has provided much-needed, long-sought federal funding to bolster farmer-led conservation efforts. Farmers’ firsthand stories of how climate change is affecting their farms demonstrate the importance of protecting the federal programs helping them build resilience.

Panelists included SEEC Climate and Agriculture Task Force Co-Chair Chellie Pingree (D-ME 1, SEEC Climate and Agriculture Task Force Co-Chair Kim Schrier (D-WA 8), Lindi and Jared …

Inflation Reduction Act Conservation Dollars Are a Vital Bulwark Against Climate Change

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*Cattle grazing a warm season cover crop on Vilicus Farms (Photo Credit: Vilicus Farms)*

On August 16, 2022 when the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was signed into law, it solidified an historic investment in addressing the climate crisis and reflected key priorities lifted up by the farmers and communities that NSAC’s members serve. Chief among these priorities was the IRA’s allocation of nearly $ 20 billion in new agricultural conservation funding in four key conservation programs: the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).

More than a year later, this once-in-a-generation investment approximately doubled the funding available for the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) core conservation programs. Of the four programs, farmers can directly apply to CSP and EQIP – both of which …