Farm Tidbits: US Ag vs. European Ag Approach to Climate Change
posted on
March 1, 2024
We had a meeting of the 70 USDA Climate-Smart Ag projects in Houston this week. Undersecretary of Ag, Robert Bonnie, brought up an interesting point. The USDA approach to utilizing agriculture to capture carbon and address climate change has been all through voluntary, incentive-based projects.
The European approach has been regulations and increased prices on fuel and fertilizer. Everyone has seen the farmer revolts in Europe. These 70 “Pilot” projects are designed to do research on a market approach to reducing emissions. Our 5-year project is doing a complete Life Cycle Assessment on raising beef in Indiana.
Our 3rd Party Carbon consulting firm, Geospherics, is measuring and modelling the carbon footprint from the time a calf is born until the steak is on the plate. We are also paying farmers incentives to utilize carbon sequestering or Green House Gas reducing practices such as cover crops, no-tilling and smart nitrogen applications. 3+ years ago the USDA asked for input on how to address climate change, the input was to work with early adopters and to make it incentive based not regulation based. I’m glad the USDA listened.
