Climate change isn’t a new topic, especially when it involves the agriculture industry.
An all-Democratic committee, the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, has released a report called the Climate Crisis Action Plan to address climate policy recommendations. The 547-page report “calls on Congress to build a clean energy economy that values workers, centers environmental justice, and is prepared to meet the challenges of the climate crisis.”
The sectors of agriculture have had mixed reactions to the report. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane did not endorse the report.
“The report released today by the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis is unfortunately the product of partisan discussions that failed to encompass important constituent communities across the country,” Lane said in a released statement. “NCBA is committed to working with Congress to find real solutions that set us on a path toward long-term environmental and economic sustainability.”
Lane further stated that all aspects of the beef industry play an important role in ensuring beef consumption is a climate solution. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined beef cattle account for only 2 percent of the United States’ greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), Lane noted.
“NCBA will continue working to ensure that all segments of the beef supply chain are recognized for their beneficial contributions and do not face punitive measures that unfairly or inaccurately target domestic food and fiber production,” Lane said.
Contrary to the beef industry, biofuel groups largely praised the report because of an included plan of a “feedstock-neutral Low-Carbon Fuel Standard.” This could boost ethanol demand to lower emissions.
“It is gratifying so many in Congress are recognizing that increasing the use of ethanol is part of the solution to further reduce GHG emissions,” said Brian Jennings, CEO of the American Coalition for Ethanol.
Report contents
The Climate Crisis Action Plan calls for 100 percent net zero GHG emissions by 2050; targets to assess progress and reduce pollution in “environmental justice” communities; and net-negative emissions in the second half of the century.
The plan is a set of policy recommendations for Congress to “reduce carbon pollution as quickly and aggressively as possible, make communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change, and build a durable and equitable clean energy economy.”
One of the pillars of the plan involves investing in American agriculture. The report recommends investing more into farmers’ and ranchers’ voluntary efforts to use climate stewardship practices, and incentivizing farmers and ranchers to employ energy efficiency and renewable energy in their operations.
The report notes American agriculture has the potential to become a significant carbon sink. The plan recommends using no- and low-till farming, planting cover crops, diversified crop rotations, rotational grazing, and improved nutrient management.
However, the report does note that incorporating these practices can often have financial and technical barriers.
The committee recommends Congress should boost spending for conservation programs, expand USDA resources, support on-farm energy projects, preserve farmland from development, increase support for beginning and disadvantaged farmers, and support local food systems.
The plan details developing a “climate-based producer” certification program, where farmers could get certified for implementing certain practices to reduce GHG.
Livestock-specific details
The report said, according to the EPA, of agriculture’s 10 percent contribution to GHG emissions, livestock account for 40 percent of the sector’s emissions. This number is attributed to livestock manure management and the livestock digestive process.
The report said manure stored in typical pits can result in large amounts of methane, but cattle raised on pasture can improve soil health and carbon sequestration, and reduce erosion and runoff.
Small-scale anaerobic digesters can reduce methane emissions from manure by turning the methane into energy, and the report suggests investing in research to make the digesters more affordable for farmers.
To address methane emissions from the livestock digestive process, the report recommends increasing USDA research to examine different feeds and feed additives to decrease enteric fermentation emissions.
Other details
Environmental groups have spoken out about the plan, saying it doesn’t go far enough. Republicans are also generally not in favor of the plan, but for the opposing reason.
It is unlikely many pieces of the plan are going to go anywhere during this Congress, with the pandemic and potential oncoming recession taking priority for lawmakers. However, there has been an increasing bipartisan interest in more “climate-friendly” farming policies, the Growing Climate Solutions Act the most recent example.
The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry recently held a hearing over the bipartisan Climate Solutions Act, which has been supported by ag groups. The act would direct USDA to create a program to help the agriculture industry make money from GHG offset credit markets. — Anna Miller, WLJ editor
