Farm Credit Administration

2016 Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan

June 30, 2016

A. Jerome Fowlkes

Chief Sustainability Officer

(703) 883-4069

fowlkesj@fca.gov
Table of Contents 

Policy Statement 

Executive Summary 

Size and Scope of Agency Operations - Table 

Progress Toward Scope 3 Greenhouse Gas Goals - Chart 

Appendix 1 – Climate Change Adaptation Plan

Agency Sustainability Points of Contact

Chief Sustainability Officer 

A. Jerome Fowlkes, Acting Director 

Office of Agency Services

fowlkesj@fca.gov

(703) 883-4069 

Sustainability Program Coordinator

Veronica McCain, Associate Director 

Office of Agency Services, Administrative Operations Team

mccainv@fca.gov

(703) 883-4031
Farm Credit Administration 1501 Farm Credit Drive 

Mclean, Virginia 22102-5090 

(703) 883-4000

FCA Policy on Sustainability -June 2016

The Farm Credit Administration (FCA) is committed to using its resources wisely and 

efficiently in order to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and to protect the environment. 

Although FCA is a small, non-appropriated agency with less than 300 employees, we will do 

our part to achieve the goal, stated in Executive Order 13693, of reducing the Federal 

government’s direct greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent over the next decade. We will also 

comply with applicable environmental and energy statutes, regulations, executive orders, and 

other Federal initiatives.

As a small agency, we are quite familiar with “doing more with less” and with being a wise 

steward of our resources. We will incorporate this philosophy into our approach for reducing 

GHG emissions and creating a more sustainable workplace.

A. Jerome Fowlkes

Acting Director

Office of Agency Services 

EXEC

UTIVE SUMM
Achievements in the Past Year

In Fiscal Year 2015, the Farm Credit Administration (FCA) continued its focus on reducing 

employee travel. We achieved a 20.7% reduction in Scope 3 GHG emissions from the 2008 base 

year and attribute most of this reduction to less air and ground business travel by agency 

employees. Also, we continued to promote prudent use of rental vehicles by agency employees 

when used for official travel.

To promote further sustainability in the Agency, we:

• continued to develop an electronic repository for agency training materials, eliminating the 

need for hardcopy distribution of these products;

• informed employees about public transportation options that have been implemented and 

will continue to develop as a result of the opening of the McLean and Reston Metrorail 

stations and area bus routes;

• supported and promoted green commuting by encouraging employees to participate in 

local “Bike to Work Day” events;

• leveraged the services of UNICOR to recycle our obsolete computer and office equipment;

• leveraged our investments in video-conferencing and improved communication 

technologies to reduce the need for employee travel between headquarters and our four 

field offices. We also expanded the use of video-conferencing with the Farm Credit 

System and the associations and banks that we regulate to reduce the necessity for onsite 

work and briefings; and

• informed the Farm Credit System associations and banks about the effect of climate 

change on the farming industry.

FCA’s Vision for 2016

In Fiscal Year 2016, we will continue to focus our efforts on reducing the FCA’s carbon footprint. 

We will:

• promote the use of public transportation, as we expect more commuting options to be 

available to employees as the Metro and Fairfax Connector transportation systems expand 

in the McLean area;

• encourage regularly-scheduled telecommuting by agency employees when it is feasible;

• review leases as they expire and encourage the Farm Credit System Building Association 

to adhere to initiatives and strategies set forth in Executive Order 13693;

• monitor the agency’s vulnerability to climate change by reviewing official studies/reports 

and acting on any information that would affect FCA operations;

• continue to invest in the selection and implementation of an agency-wide electronic 

recordkeeping system that will reduce the need for paper files and office storage space; 

and

• promote the use of the Skype feature on new agency laptops rolled out in early-2016 to 

allow better collaboration and to eliminate the need for business travel between offices.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
 TABLE 1: SIZE AND SCOPE OF AGENCY OPERATIONS

Agency Size and Scope FY 2015

Total Number of Employees as Reported in the President's Budget 276

Total Acres of Land Managed 0

Total Number of Facilities Owned 0

Total Number of Facilities Leased (GSA and Non-GSA lease) 0

Total Facility Gross Square Feet (GSF) 136,200

Operates in Number of Locations Throughout U.S. 6

Operates in Number of Locations Outside of U.S. 0

Total Number of Fleet Vehicles Owned 1

Total Number of Fleet Vehicles Leased 0
Note: E.O. 13693 requires that each agency establish a Scope 3 GHG reduction target for FY 2025.

The FY 2025 target for the Farm Credit Administration is 25% compared to the FY2008 baseline. The 

red bar represents the agency’s FY 2008 baseline. The blue bar represents the FY 2025 target 

reduction. The green bars show actual yearly status in relationship to the target. The percentage on 

each bar shows the reduction or increase from the FY 2008 baseline. A negative percentage reflects an

increase in Scope 3 GHG emissions.
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 APPENDIX 1: CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION PLAN

Climate Change Adaptation Plan—June 2016

FCA is the independent Federal agency responsible for examining and regulating the Farm Credit 

System, a Government-sponsored enterprise created by Congress in 1916 to provide American 

agriculture with a dependable source of credit. Through its oversight and regulation of the Farm Credit 

System, FCA helps to ensure a safe, sound, and dependable source of credit and related services for 

agriculture and rural America.

Climate Change Adaptation Policy and Responsibilities

FCA’s statement on Climate Change Adaptation Planning Policy sets forth the following:

FCA is committed to climate change adaptation planning so that we can address challenges 

posed by climate change to our mission, programs and operations. Because of our involvement 

in both agriculture and financial sectors, we need to plan for potential issues we may face that 

affect these important sectors of the economy. We see our primary role in climate change 

adaptation policy as two-fold:

1) plan for climate changes that may affect the mission of the Agency; and

2) plan for climate changes that may affect the Agency and its employees. 

Therefore, FCA is focusing our strategic approach to climate change in two areas:

1) how climate change will likely affect our ability to achieve our mission of examining and 

regulating the Farm Credit System, and

2) how climate change will affect our operations, specifically how climate change may affect 

locations of our headquarters and field offices and work force.

Jerome Fowlkes is FCA’s Chief Sustainability Officer. Mr. Fowlkes serves as the Acting Director of the 

Office of Agency Services and reports directly to the Chief Operating Officer for the Agency and is 

responsible for the development, implementation and evaluation of our plan. Veronica McCain is the 

FCA’s Sustainability Program Coordinator. Ms. McCain serves as the Associate Director of the Office 

of Agency Services, Administrative Operations Team.

Analysis of Climate Change Risks and Opportunities

As a small agency with a narrow scope of responsibility and limited expertise in the area of climate 

change, we are relying on the most recent official guidance produced by the U.S. Government pertaining 

to climate change to conduct our analysis. The “Global Climate Change Impacts in the United 

States” report, prepared by the U.S. Global Change Research Program in May 2014, is being used as the 

basis for our general understanding of the effects of climate change. We are using the “Effects of 

Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity in the United 

States,” prepared by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program in May 2008, as the basis for our 

understanding of the effects climate change will have on agriculture. We have reviewed the “Global 

Climate Change Impacts in the United States” report, which identifies 12 key findings. Findings 7 and 8 

are directly related to agriculture and could have long-term effects on the Farm Credit System:
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7. Climate change will stress water resources. Water is an issue in every region, but the nature of the 

potential impact varies. Surface and groundwater supplies in some regions are stressed by increased 

demand for water and groundwater recharge. In some regions, particularly the southern part of the 

country, climate change is increasing the likelihood of water shortages and competition for water 

among its many users.

8. Crop and livestock production will be increasingly challenged. Agriculture is considered one of the 

sectors most adaptable to changes in climate. However, extreme heat, drought, disease, and heavy 

downpours will pose adaptation challenges for crop and livestock production. 

We have also reviewed the report sponsored by USDA, “The Effects of Climate Change on 

Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity in the United States.” This 

report, produced in 2008, assesses the effects of climate change on U.S. land resources, water resources, 

agriculture, and biodiversity,” but does not make specific recommendations. The report does lay out the 

following “sectoral findings” for agriculture:

• Increased carbon dioxide and temperatures will cause the lifecycle of grain and oilseed to 

progress more rapidly;

• Marketable yields of crops, such as tomatoes, onions and fruits will likely be more sensitive to 

climate change than grain and oilseed crops; 

• Climate change is likely to lead to a northern migration of weeds – shifts in plants species are 

already under way in rangelands;

• With earlier springs and warmer winters, disease pressure on crops and domestic animals will 

likely increase;

• Forage production will likely extend into late fall and early spring due to projected increases in 

temperature and lengthening of growing season, decreasing the need for winter season forage 

reserves; and

• Livestock production will be reduced during the summer, but will be offset by warmer 

temperatures in the winter.

The findings from these reports reinforce the Agency’s need to adapt existing processes to receive and 

analyze climate change information that can potentially affect our ability to achieve our mission of 

examining and regulating the Farm Credit System. If we determine there is actionable information 

about potential long-term impacts of climate change to the operations of the FCS, we will use 

appropriate communication channels to notify affected offices and institutions.

How will climate change affect our operations, and, specifically, how will climate change affect the 

locations of our headquarters and field offices and our workforce?

The “Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States” report produced by the U.S. Global Change 

Research Program presents two findings that have the potential to affect our headquarters and field 

office locations and workforce:

• Threats to human health will increase. Health impacts of climate change are related to heat 

stress, waterborne diseases, poor air quality, extreme weather events, and diseases transmitted 

by insects and rodents. Robust public health infrastructure can reduce the potential for negative 

impacts. 
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• Coastal areas are at increasing risk from sea-level rise and storm surge. Sea-level rise, storm 

surge and heavy downpours in combination with the pattern of continued development in coastal 

areas are increasing damage to U.S. infrastructure including roads, buildings, and industrial 

facilities. Also, extreme heat is damaging transportation infrastructure such as roads, rail lines, 

and airport runways.

Our offices are not located in coastal areas that would be affected by an increased risk of sea-level rise 

and storm surge, nor do we have any indication that we will be experiencing any health risks in the short 

term. We will continue to monitor climate change data and will take adequate steps to protect both our 

physical infrastructure and the health of our employees.

Agency Activities to Plan, Understand and Address Climate Change Risks and Opportunities

As stated in our analysis of the Agency’s vulnerability to climate change, we are a small agency with a 

fairly narrow scope of responsibility and limited expertise in the area of climate change. Therefore, our 

activities consist of the following: 

• We will continue to monitor climate change information produced by official U.S. governmental 

sources to determine how it may affect our operations.

• We will alert the Farm Credit System as to any actionable steps that may need to be taken to 

ensure they adequately plan for climate change.

• We will take necessary actions where climate change has the potential to affect our operations 

and employees.

In order to adequately address climate change risks and opportunities, we will continue to evaluate any 

new climate change information that becomes available through official government sources, such as the 

United States Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Climate Change Research Program. As part of 

the FCA’s annual sustainability and climate change adaptation and reporting cycle, FCA will review and 

update our analysis of climate change risks and opportunities based on any new studies or information. 

Should we identify any actionable items, either through our annual review cycle or as we are alerted by 

other government sources, such as the Council on Environmental Quality, we will take appropriate 

action. Should the risk affect the Farm Credit System, we will select a method to best notify the affected 

offices or organizations. 

FCA will also use this planning document, which will be posted on FCA’s website, to disclose 

information to our employees, the Farm Credit System and the general public about our climate change 

adaptation program.
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Priority Climate Change Actions to be Implemented in FY 2016

FCA Action

Scale 

(National, 

Regional,

Local)

Completion

Date

Collaborating

Agencies

(if applicable)

Review government studies and analyses and 

update FCA’s Analysis of Climate Change Risks 

and Opportunities.

National June 2017 USDA (will rely on 

information

products)

Based on update of FCA’s Analysis of Climate 

Change Risks and Opportunities, review HQ and field

office locations to determine susceptibility to climate

change and determine if any adaptive measures need

to be taken.

National June 2017 N/A

Based on update of FCA’s Analysis of Climate 

Change Risks and Opportunities, determine the 

need to communicate information to the Farm Credit 

System and take appropriate actions to notify

them

National June 2017 N/A

References

“Climate Change and Agriculture in the United States: Effects and Adaptation,” February 2013. 

http://www.usda.gov/oce/climate_change/effects_2012/effects_agriculture.htm

Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States. U.S. Global Change Research Program. 

http://www.globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific-assessments/us-impacts/full-report.