Past National Farmers Union presidents are urging the new presidential administration to advance agriculture and bioenergy.
“Blazing a new trail in agriculture, to protect the planet for future generations.” That is the central message in a new letter from the National Farmers Union to the incoming presidential administration.
All four living past presidents of the organization signed on, including Roger Johnson.
“We feel really strongly that the time has come for this country to get very serious about dealing with climate change,” Johnson states. “We also feel that agriculture has an enormous positive role that can be played in the question of climate change, if we just get the policies right.”
The letter details some of the policy recommendations that could help agriculture play the star role in conservation.
According to Johnson, “Biofuels is the big one. It’s the one that’s proven, it’s out there right now. If we just had stronger policies and an administration that really supported biofuels we would make enormous quick progress and then you can build on it with other techniques, you’d advance biofuels.”
While there is concern in farm country that the climate conversation could quickly turn into burdensome regulations, Johnson says that the NFU is urging the administration to use incentives, rather than mandates.
He explains, “Every farm is unique and it is really difficult to have a ‘you must do this’ kind of approach to every farmer. If you told every farmer you had to practice no till, for example, there are certain farms where that does not work.”
One of those incentives could be a carbon market.
“Fundamentally, there has to be some sort of a value or price placed on carbon, and if we get that done there will be incentives for farmers in many different capacities to take CO2 out of the atmosphere and put that carbon back in the soil,” he adds. “It can make the soil better and deal with the issue of climate change.”
In the letter, the NFU presidents share their support for the bipartisan Growing Climate Solutions Act, which they say could lay the foundation for a net zero economy.
Related:
Helping with conservation and improving communities with a different type of farming
Ag groups offering support for the Growing Climate Solutions Act
AFBF on the Growing Climate Solutions Act
