Farm bill’s the only way to comply with IPCC targets.
Daniel Rath 23, Agricultural Soil Carbon Scientist at National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Soil and Biogeochemistry PhD at UC-Davis; Nina Sevilla, Program Advocate, Food Waste & Food Systems at NRDC; Allison Johnson, Senior Attorney, Health & Food, People & Communities Program at NRDC and J.D. at UC-Berkeley, 3/28/2023, “2023 Farm Bill Can Help Address Climate Crisis,” https://www.nrdc.org/bio/daniel-rath/2023-farm-bill-can-help-address-climate-crisis
Economy-wide investments in our food systems can play a large role in both climate change mitigation and adaptation, but only if we move quickly and decisively, and choose wisely.
The time is now for the U.S. to follow the IPCC’s recommendations and make these economy-wide investments in our food system. This year, Congress will negotiate the most impactful piece of legislation related to agriculture, the 2023 Farm Bill, a nearly $1 trillion spending package that sets authorized funding levels for the next 5 years until the next Farm Bill is negotiated. NRDC’s Farm Bill priorities - advancing organic agriculture, increasing cover crop adoption, and reducing food waste – and the comprehensive Agriculture Resilience Act introduced this week by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, who herself is a longtime organic farmer, closely align with the IPCC report’s recommended climate mitigation and adaptation options. The report outlines that to simultaneously reduce global GHG emissions by 60% before 2035 and adapt to changes that are already ongoing, we need to increase the ability of our agricultural systems to store carbon, effectively manage biodiversity, improve cropland management, and reduce food waste, all while preserving natural ecosystems.