September 14th, 2022
By Lori Sallet
American Farmland Trust Statement on USDA Investment in Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities
This statement can be attributed to John Piotti, president and CEO of American Farmland Trust.
“The announcement made by Secretary Vilsack today of an unprecedented $2.8 billion investment in Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities is truly historic and urgently needed. Farmers and ranchers face relentless challenges across this nation, brought on by drought, floods, and fires, and USDA recognizes the difficulties. They also recognize the significant opportunity. Farmers and ranchers are on the frontline of climate change, and their operations offer one of the best pathways available to address the climate crisis.
“This new funding benefits a broad base of work, supported through partnerships with the private sector, NGOs and NRCS offices. The work of AFT and its partners will benefit from well over $160 million across at least four projects to address climate change through the implementation of climate-smart systems on farms and ranches, with opportunity to leverage and scale for impact across projects, and to truly tackle the critical needs of underserved producers. These practices won’t just improve soil health, sequester carbon, and reduce emissions. They’re also proven to increase the resiliency and economic vitality of diverse farm operations, both of which are critical to our nation’s food security. Generally, AFT’s work will support those who grow our food, fuel and fiber and their trusted advisors with training, technical assistance, peer-to-peer networking and ongoing outcome and economic analysis to scale up proven and new innovative soil health management systems approaches, benefiting society and the planet.
“AFT appreciates the USDA’s commitment to this important initiative and looks forward to working with its representatives, our partners, farmers and ranchers, and their trusted advisors.”
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American Farmland Trust is the only national organization that takes a holistic approach to agriculture, focusing on the land itself, the agricultural practices used on that land, and the farmers and ranchers who do the work. AFT launched the conservation agriculture movement and continues to raise public awareness through our No Farms, No Food message. Since our founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect over 6.8 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally-sound farming practices on millions of additional acres and supported thousands of farm families.