Uncle Sam Invests $22 Billion in Climate-Smart Farming

President Biden signed an executive order that includes the largest ever federal investment in climate-smart farming practices. The majority of the $22 billion funding will go to existing agricultural conservation programs that encourage regenerative practices where demand has long exceeded available funding. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the agriculture industry produces around 11 percent of greenhouse gas emissions nationwide. Although climate-smart agriculture is still considered niche, it is gaining momentum with farmers using such practices on about 100 million acres. One of the promising techniques involves capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it as carbon in the soil. However, scientists are still determining how long carbon can be sequestered and how to measure sequestration. Experts caution that to make a significant difference, the programs need to discourage the use of fertilizer — a major source of emissions. Read more HERE.