According to the Environmental Working Group, “Farmers received almost $7.4 billion in payments from two of the largest federal agricultural conservation programs between 2017 and 2020, but only a small proportion of these payments went to practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from farming....Even more troubling, some of the practices that received the most funding actually exacerbate the climate crisis.”

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Farm Service Agency provide payments to farmers who implement conservation practices through five programs. Three of the programs pay farmers to take land out of production, while the other two, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), pay farmers to implement one or more practices, such as cover crops or wildlife habitat.

It is absolutely critical that we use the 2023-28 Farm Bill reauthorization to promote US farm practices that reduce and sequester GHG. Estimated at $648 billion ($160 billion larger than the Inflation Reduction Act expenditures), the Farm Bill will be reauthorized with bi-partisan support. BUT THE DETAILS OF THE BILL DEPEND ON WHETHER CLIMATE ACTIVISTS GET INVOLVED OR ONLY THE TRADITIONAL FARM BILL STAKEHOLDERS HAVE A SAY. Please check out all the Climate Action Now Farm Bill actions and get involved!!!