July 28th, 2022
By Tim Fink
AFT Statement on the Inflation Reduction Act
This statement can be attributed to Tim Fink, American Farmland Trust’s policy director
American Farmland Trust (AFT) applauds the inclusion of over $20 billion for agricultural conservation in the recently announced Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. If enacted, this historic funding would provide many more producers the tools they need to protect their land, increase resilience to extreme weather, sequester carbon, and reduce emissions – all while improving their soils and profitability.
The proposed funding answers the call from 165 organizations, including AFT, to significantly increase conservation program support, and is a prerequisite to achieving many of the policy goals outlined in AFT’s recently released 2023 Farm Bill platform. It also recognizes the vital contributions that farmland protection can play in addressing climate change by maintaining the availability of agricultural land for carbon sequestration and by preventing sprawl. Recent AFT research reveals that, if we continue with business as usual, 18.4 million acres of farmland and ranchland could be converted to non-farm development by 2040, significantly increasing emissions associated with car travel, energy use, and other factors.
As the legislation moves forward, we encourage Senators to maintain this funding in the bill to enable even more of our nation’s farmers and ranchers to be leaders in addressing climate change.