WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/AG/N/USA/73 
29 April 2010 
 (10-2330) 
Committee on Agriculture Original:   English 
 
 
 
NOTIFICATION  
 
 
The following submission, dated 27 April 2010, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the United States of America .  The notification concerns new or modified domestic 
support measures exem pt from reduction ( Table DS:2 ). 
  G/AG/N/USA/73 
Page 2  
 
  Table DS:2 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: United States  
Notification under Article 18:3 of the Agreement:  
New or modified domestic support measures exempt from reduction  
 
(1) Full title of measure:  Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) 
 (2) Domestic legislation reference:  The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, P.L. 110-
246, 18 June 2008.   
 
(3) Detailed description of measure with reference to criteria, i.e., those in:  Provisions are 
consistent with criteria in Annex 2, paragraph 12.   
The CSP modifies the Conservation Security Pr ogram (see G/AG/N/USA/59).  The CSP is a 
voluntary conservation program that encourages producers to address resource concerns in a 
comprehensive manner by:  
• Undertaking additional conservation activities;  and  
• Improving, maintaining, and managing existing conservation activities.  
CSP will provide financial and technical assistan ce to eligible producers to conserve and 
enhance soil, water, air, and related natural resources on their land.  Eligible lands include 
cropland, grassland, prairie land, improved p astureland, rangeland, non-industrial private 
forest lands, agricultural land under the jurisdiction of an Indian tribe, and other private agricultural land (including cropped woodland, ma rshes, and agricultural land used for the 
production of livestock) on which resource con cerns related to agricultural production could 
be addressed.  Land enrolled in other USDA conservation programs or the prior Conservation Security Program is not eligible. 
CSP encourages land stewards to improve thei r conservation performance by installing and 
adopting additional activities, and improving, maintaining, and mana ging existing activities 
on agricultural land and non-industrial private fo rest land.  The entire operation must be 
enrolled and must include all eligible land that  will be under the applicant's control for the 
term of the proposed contract that is operate d substantially separate from other operations.  
 CSP offers participants two possible types of payments: 
1. Annual payment for installing and adoptin g additional activities, and improving, 
maintaining, and managing existing activities;  and 
2. Supplemental payment for the adoption of resource-conserving crop rotations.  
Payment rates are established for specific prac tices and activities, based on costs associated 
with planning, design, materials, installation,  labor, management, main tenance, and training; 
estimated income foregone by the particip ant; and expected conservation performance 
increase.  Payments are designed to not exceed  costs and income forgone.  Producers sign 
5-year contracts.  For all contracts, CSP paym ents to an individual may not exceed $40,000 in 
any year and $200,000 during any 5-year period.  Contracts can be renewed for one 5-year 
period.   
 
(4) Cost of measure :  The cost of this measure depends on the level of acreage enrolled.  The 
statute reads that the agency that admini sters the program (the Natural Resources 
Conservation Service) will, "to the maximum ex tent practicable, manage CSP to achieve a  G/AG/N/USA/73 
 Page 3 
 
 
  national average rate of $18 per acre, which in cludes the costs of all financial and technical 
assistance, and any other expenses associated w ith program enrollment and participation."  
CSP is authorized to enroll 12,769,000 acres for each fiscal year for the period beginning 
1 October 2008 and ending on 30 September 2017.  If the 12.769 million acre cap is reached 
in a fiscal year, program costs associated w ith such a sign-up would be about $1.1 billion 
($229,842,000 for each year multiplied by five year s, which is the life of a CSP contract).  
Full participation over fiscal years 2009 throug h 2012 would imply a program outlay of about 
$4.6 billion (four fiscal years multiplied by an annual full participation enrollment).   
 (5) Date of entry into effect:  The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, P.L. 110-246, 
effective on 22 May 2008 established the CSP.  An interim final rule was published in the 
Federal Register on 29 July 2009.  Signup for the program began on 10 August 2009. 
 
(6) Period of application:   Fiscal years (October – September) 2009 – 2012.  Contracts can 
continue beyond 30 September 2012,  depending on their duration. 
 
(7) Products to principally benefit (if any individual product(s)):  None. 
 G/AG/N/USA/73 
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  Table DS:2 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: United States  
Notification under Article 18:3 of the Agreement:  
New or modified domestic support measures exempt from reduction  
 
(1) Full title of measure:   Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for Farmers 
 (2) Domestic legislation reference:  The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 
(P. L. 111-5) reauthorizes and modifies the Tr ade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for Farmers 
program. 
 
(3) Detailed description of measure with reference to criteria, i.e., those in:  Provisions are 
consistent with criteria in Annex 2, pa ragraph 2(c).  See also G/AG/N/USA/59. 
  Under this program, the US Department of Ag riculture (USDA) provides technical assistance 
and cash benefits to eligible producers of ra w agricultural commodities and fishermen when 
the USDA determines that increased  imports of raw agricultural co mmodities, aquaculture 
products, or wild-caught aquatic  species have contributed importantly to a greater than 
15 percent decrease in the national average pri ce, or quantity of production, or value of 
production, or cash receipts for the agricultura l commodity specified in the certified petition 
compared to the average of the three preceding marketing years. 
 
 Eligible producers may receive:  (1) traini ng specifically tailored to their needs by the 
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES, changed to the 
National Institute for Food and Agriculture  as of 1 October 2009);  and under certain 
circumstances (2) travel and per diem payments to help offset costs incurred to attend initial 
training.  Depending on the commodity and the region, the training package may include 
technical publications in print or on-line,  group seminars and presentations, one-on-one 
meetings, and assistance in the development of  business adjustment plans.  Producers who 
satisfy personal and farm income limits; co mplete the designated technical training; and 
develop and implement approved business plans are eligible for TAA for Farmers cash benefits.  During the 36-month period followi ng certification of the petition, a producer may 
receive not more than $12,000 for the deve lopment and implementation of business plans 
approved under the TAA for Farmers program. 
 
(4) Cost of measure :  $90 million per year is available for the 2009 and 2010 fiscal years, and 
$22.5 million is available for October through D ecember 2011, the final three months of the 
program. 
 (5) Date of entry into effect:  A proposed rule was published on 25 August 2009.  An interim 
final rule was published on 1 March 2010. 
 
(6) Period of application:   Beginning fiscal year 2009 (1 October 2008) and ending 
31 December 2011. 
 
(7) Products to principally benefit (if any individual product(s)):  Producers of all agricultural 
and fishery commodities are eligible to apply for benefits. 
 
  G/AG/N/USA/73 
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  Table DS:2 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: United States  
Notification under Article 18:3 of the Agreement:  
New or modified domestic support measures exempt from reduction  
 
(1) Full title of measure:   National Clean Plant Network 
 (2) Domestic legislation reference:  The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, P.L. 110-
246, 18 June 2008.   
 
(3) Detailed description of measure with reference to criteria, i.e., those in:  Provisions are 
consistent with criteria in Annex 2, paragraph 2(b).  
  The legislation directed the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a National Clean Plant 
Network to provide a set of diagnostic an d pathogen elimination services.  Three 
US Department of Agriculture agencies – th e Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
(APHIS), the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), and the Cooperative State Research, 
Education and Extension Service (now the Nati onal Institute of Food and Agriculture, NIFA) 
– cooperatively support the Nationa l Clean Plant Network (NCPN). 
  The NCPN, as required by the 2008 Farm Bill,  is a collaborative venture, composed of 
diagnostic, therapeutic and horticu ltural expertise.  NCPN's goal is to ensure the availability 
of high quality propagated plant material that is free of plant pests.  The NCPN promotes pest 
and disease-free specialty crops, the rapid and saf e introduction of new varieties from foreign 
sources and hygienic US products for export. 
 
 APHIS, ARS and NIFA work together, as well as with university, non-profit, and industry 
stakeholders to create new, and support existi ng, NCPN activities.  Some of these activities 
include: 
 
• Developing the science needed to support pest-free status in plants, by improving 
molecular diagnostic technologies, therapy and relevant taxonomy and systematic studies;  
• Identifying plant diseases and supporting the disease- free status of plants in national plant 
germplasm collections; 
• Developing the methods and technologies to treat diseased plants;  and  
• Establishing and supporting a general outr each program, including regional and specific 
plant/commodity centers, netw orks and working groups.  
 
(4) Cost of measure :  The program is funded through the Commodity Credit Corporation at an 
annual level of $5 million for each of the fiscal years 2009-2012. 
 (5) Date of entry into effect:  A Memorandum of Understanding establishing the program was 
signed by APHIS, ARS, and NIFA on 26 March 2009. 
 
(6) Period of application:   Beginning fiscal year 2009 (1 October 2008) and ending 
30 September 2013. 
 
(7) Products to principally benefit (if any individual product(s)):  Primarily horticultural and 
specialty crops. 
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