Climate-smart agriculture: What is it and why do I agricultural practices. For years, a passersby would hear so much about it?
Climate-smart agriculture has been all the craze age and cover crops lately. That’s because the world has noticed an immense change in the environment, and they hope that farmers can help. This new term is used to describe any conservation practice or new technology that a farmer can use to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or remove carbon from the atmosphere and sequester that carbon back into the soil.
Whether it is something we can see, such as a subdivision being built, or something that we can’t, such as increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the environment is changing every day. As people continue to learn more about the ecosystem in which we live, it is important that we use this knowledge to leave the land in better condition for future generations.
Missouri farmers have always understood this concept because they want the ability to pass down the family operation for generations to come. Missouri Soybeans has seen this effort firsthand with farmers’ willingness and eagerness to try their hand at new technology and conservation practices. Even as one drives through the countryside, they can see the transformation to modern-day agricultural practices. For years, a passersby would notice terraces and grass waterways to control soil loss, and now they see an increase in reduced till-age and cover crops.
This brings us back to “climate-smart agriculture.” Why is this new term going to be very important to Missouri farmers? Because there has been more money than ever put forward to help incentivize farmers to implement climate-smart agriculture practices on their farms, and farmers will have multiple options if they chooses to enroll into these new programs.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it awarded $3.1 billion in more than 141 projects in the Partnership for Climate-smart Commodities funding opportunity. These projects will be funded during the next five years and focus on providing financial assistance to farmers who would implement climate-smart practices on their working lands. USDA also hopes to standardize the monitoring and quantification of the greenhouse gas benefits of these practices and then see if there would be a marketplace for climate-smart crops. As you can imagine, this level of funding has created many different opportunities for farmers that will make climate-smart farming something that will be at top of mind.
At this time, USDA is still finalizing details with the project leads that were awarded the funding, so it is still too early to know what will be offered. I do know that almost every project that was awarded listed Missouri as a state that could participate. I also know that most Missouri farmers should have the opportunity to plant cover crops, reduce tillage or change nutrient management practices and get an incentive payment through one of these new projects. I have high hopes that these incentive payments can be used with traditional cost-share opportunities that will increase the overall payment to farmers. I also hope that some of these projects will allow farmers to participate if they have been doing these conservation practices for years.
This is a very large amount of funding focused strictly on climate-smart agriculture, but there is even more money available. In 2023, normal state and federal cost-share opportunities that focus on these climate-smart practices will have even more money available to farmers. All of this does not even dive into the private carbon markets and the opportunities that are currently available to farmers.
With all of this being said, it is clear that climate-smart agriculture is go- ing to have a big role for farmers in the near future. As all these different funding opportunities may be over- whelming, I want to let everyone know that Missouri Soybeans staff will continue to dive deep into opportunities for Missouri farmers, and we will be there to help farmers make educated management decisions. As the growing population looks for ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and remove carbon from the atmosphere, farmers will always be at the top of mind. Why? Because farmers are good stewards of the land and always try their hardest to leave the land in better shape than they found it.
If you have any questions regarding the latest information on climate-smart agriculture and possible funding for these conservation practices, never hesitate to contact me at: clight@mosoy.org.
