Rep. Pingree introduced H.R. 5861

March 3, 2020

Rep. Pingree introduced H.R. 5861, the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA), a comprehensive bill that sets a bold vision of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in American Agriculture by the year 2040.

Information below is from Rep. Pingree's website (https://pingree.house.gov/)

Image

In order to stop the climate crisis, we must implement bold policies that underscore the seriousness of this issue.

Farming has always been a risky business. But today, extreme weather events and trade wars have created challenges that threaten food production and jeopardize the future of farming. Policymakers must work to keep farmers on their land and in business. 

We know that climate change impacts agriculture. Farmers are on the frontlines of climate change: dealing with extreme flooding and drought, unpredictable growing seasons, and changes on their land. Climate change could even jeopardize agricultural productivity, alter the nutrient content of crops, and increase the price of food. 

We also know that agriculture impacts climate change. Currently, 8.4% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture. The changing climate necessitates urgent action, and farmers are an essential part of the climate solution. 

Rep. Pingree's bill empowers farmers and gives them the tools they need to help them reduce emissions, expand mitigation practices, and store more carbon in the soil. We don't have to reinvent the wheel here. USDA already has a suite of research and conservation programs that we can build off of. And unlike other industries, agriculture is unique in that crops can draw down carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the soil.

Here's how the bill will support farmers and help U.S. agriculture become net-zero by 2040:

  • Increase federal agriculture research dollars focused on climate mitigation and adaptation, including support for public breed and cultivar research;
  • Support programs that help farmers improve soil health and sequester more carbon in their soil;
  • Protect existing farmland to keep land in production instead of developing it;
  • Support pasture-based livestock systems to increase organic matter and capture carbon potential in the soil;
  • Boost investments in on-farm energy initiatives to diversify farmers' incomes; and
  • Support food recovery efforts to lower methane emissions from food waste rotting in landfills.

You can learn more about the Agriculture Resilience Act by visiting pingree.house.gov/netzeroagriculture.