PROGRESSIVE PLAYBOOK > HOW TO IMPROVE THE FARM BILL’S CONSERVATION TITLE
How to Improve the Farm Bill’s Conservation Title
INTRODUCTION
The Farm Bill’s Conservation title covers programs that help farmers implement natural resource conservation efforts on working lands as well as land retirement and easement programs. Some of these programs include the Conservation Stewardship Program and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.
While these programs were created with the intention of addressing important environmental issues like water quality and land erosion, special interests have co-opted the programs to support the growth of the industrial livestock industry and drive farm consolidation, hurting farmers, animals, consumers, and rural communities alike. The 2023 Farm Bill should be refocused on investments in regenerative approaches that protect the environment, combat climate change, and promote equity.
These recommendations were compiled with input from the American Friends Service Committee, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment, Center for Food Safety, Climate Justice Alliance, Earthjustice, Environmental Working Group, Factory Farming Awareness Coalition, Farm Action Fund, Farmworker Association of Florida, Friends of the Earth, Food & Water Watch, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, National Family Farm Coalition, Rural Coalition, Socially Responsible Agriculture Project, United Food & Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), UPR Resiliency Law Center, World Farmers, and National Young Farmers Coalition.
Improve the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
Increase baseline funding.
End EQIP payments for practices that increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (e.g., manure lagoons and land clearing).
Remove set-aside for livestock in EQIP. Target EQIP spending on livestock to pasture-based and advanced grazing systems, or to farms to voluntarily transition away from CAFO production.
End EQIP funding for biodigesters and increase funding for projects that demonstrably reduce GHG emissions and improve the quality of the environment.
Set more strict payment limitations per farm.
Reform state-approved practices to limit those that increase emissions or pollutants, or otherwise have negative Conservation Practices Physical Effects (CPPE) scores. Prioritize high-performing climate and nutrient smart practices.
Prioritize multiple benefit practices in conservation programs that emphasize diversified operations, grazing, and more. Multiple benefits include soil health, water quality protection, soil water-retention capacity, habitat protection, reduced input use, and others.
Expand Tribal access to conservation funding to include traditional conservation practices that are not necessarily recognized by USDA and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Improve the Conservation Stewardship Program and Increase Payments to Small-Scale Producers
Increase baseline funding.
Prioritize funding emissions reduction practices and expand eligible bundles of enhancements, which consistently rank among the most effective conservation activities.
Expand Tribal access to conservation funding to include traditional conservation practices that are not necessarily recognized by USDA and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Prioritize practices that reduce total GHG emissions by reducing inputs that require substantial emissions in manufacturing and shipping, like fertilizers and pesticides.
Promote Long-term and Permanent Climate Benefits through the Conservation Reserve Program (CLEAR30, CREP), Easements, and Other Conservation Programs (RCPP, ACEP, etc.)
Improve conservation compliance enforcement.
Modernize compliance to meet tougher standards for soil health and to address nitrous oxide emissions.
Shift enrollment from productive farmland to increase enrollment of unproductive land for longer-term contracts.
Prioritize the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and other options focused on marginal lands that have longer-term contracts.
Expand the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to 40 million acres by 2028.
Increase incentive payments to encourage enrollment of marginal lands in long-term and permanent easements to increase carbon storage and other co-benefits.
Expand the grasslands program and refocus the program to aid the transition from CAFOs to pasture-based systems.
Protect agricultural land by enhancing eligibility for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program to prioritize farms that consistently adopt proven practices of conservation and higher welfare for animals.
Support Regenerative, Sustainable, and Higher-Welfare Agricultural Practices
Direct USDA to establish ambitious targets for reducing pesticide, fertilizer, fungicide, and other agrochemical use.
Mandate certain conservation and regenerative practices within Farm Bill programs, such as by requiring farmers to meet specific conservation standards to qualify for funding opportunities.
Provide financial and technical support to farmers transitioning their practices to organic, regenerative, and higher-welfare farming, adopting renewable energy, participating in conservation activities, providing opportunities to young adults from socially disadvantaged communities, and more.
Improve transparency around climate and environmental initiatives, including the Climate Smart Commodities program.
Relevant Legislation
H.R. 797 (118th) (Rep. Khanna — D-CA-17) / S. 271 (118th) (Sen. Booker — D-NJ): The Farm System Reform Act imposes a moratorium on large concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs); requires Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for beef, pork, and dairy products; and revises policies related to the marketing of livestock, poultry, and meat.
H.R. 1393 (117th) (Rep. Adams — D-NC-12) / S. 96 (118th) (Sen. Booker — D-NJ): The Justice for Black Farmers Act requires the USDA to provide assistance to address historical discrimination and disparities in the agricultural sector.
H.R. 2534 (117th) (Rep. Spanberger — D-VA-07) / S. 1072 (117th) (Sen. Booker — D-NJ): The Climate Stewardship Act provides federal funding for states, Tribes, local governments, and other jurisdictions to practice climate stewardship, including through farm and ranch conservation activities.