CLIMATE CRISIS COMMITTEE LOOKS FOR AG SOLUTIONS: Congress took a rare dive into the nexus of climate change and agriculture [October 30] as House Democrats’ climate panel explored what role farming practices can play in tackling the “climate crisis.”
“We call on Congress to seize the opportunity to make agriculture a key partner in fighting climate change,” Jennifer Moore-Kucera, climate initiative director at American Farmland Trust, told the committee during a nearly two-hour hearing. Moore-Kucera noted that lawmakers could engage ag through either stand alone legislation or “a transformational farm bill.”
Private sector engagement: The hearing comes as more food and ag companies engage their supply chains to focus on climate-friendly practices, from Cargill to General Mills and Danone North America, which testified [October 30]. “We want farmers to know this can be a path forward for them,” said Tina Owens, senior director of agricultural funding and communications for Danone North America, after the hearing.
Common themes: Experts before the committee were unanimous that agriculture can be a big part of the solution, particularly through carbon sequestration. They supported leveraging existing USDA conservation programs to focus on climate-friendly agriculture practices and called for bolstering agricultural research on climate adaptation and mitigation.
Read full, original article: Politico Pro Morning Agriculture news roundup (Behind paywall)
