I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5583 

To establish an advisory panel to study the development of a climate-friendly 

certification for agricultural products, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 20, 2023 

Ms. BROWNLEY (for herself and Mr. CLEAVER) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 

A BILL 

To establish an advisory panel to study the development 

of a climate-friendly certification for agricultural products, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Climate-Friendly Food 

5 Label Task Force Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) 10 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions 

9 emitted by the United States come from the agricul10 tural sector. 


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1 (2) Sustainable agricultural practices that re2 duce greenhouse gas emissions and prevent deforest3 ation will be critical to preventing the Earth from 

4 reaching 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-indus5 trial levels, the threshold that would result in cata6 strophic climate-related effects. 

7 (3) Improving the agricultural sector’s impact 

8 on the climate is a vital component of efforts by the 

9 U.S. to meet its contributions to the Paris Agree10 ment. 

11 (4) The USDA Organic label represents a suc12 cessful model for using voluntary, market-based ap13 proaches to driving innovation in the agricultural 

14 sector and successfully created a robust organic 

15 market in the United States. 

16 (5) Market-based approaches like USDA Or17 ganic can spark significant economic benefits includ18 ing jobs, and new, higher revenues for farmers. 

19 (6) In 2021, organic farming totaled 

20 $11,200,000,000 in sales, created opportunity for 

21 17,445 organic farms, and 28 percent of organic 

22 farmers planned to continue to grow their level of 

23 organic production. A similar voluntary, market24 based approach to climate-friendly agricultural pracVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:26 Oct 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5583.IH H5583

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1 tices could create comparable economic benefits for 

2 farmers and workers. 

3 SEC. 3. STUDY OF CLIMATE-FRIENDLY CERTIFICATION FOR 

4 AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. 

5 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established an advi6 sory panel to carry out the study described in subsection 

7 (c). 

8 (b) MEMBERS.—The advisory panel established 

9 under subsection (a) shall be composed of members ap10 pointed by the Secretary of Agriculture and shall in11 clude— 

12 (1) representatives— 

13 (A) that are scientists, including experts 

14 on climate science and nutrition science; 

15 (B) of environmental advocacy organiza16 tions; 

17 (C) of industry, including food manufac18 turing and farming; and 

19 (D) of other stakeholders, as the Secretary 

20 of Agriculture determines appropriate; and 

21 (2) at least one representative from each of the 

22 following: 

23 (A) The Department of Agriculture. 

24 (B) The Environmental Protection Agency. 


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1 (C) The Centers for Disease Control and 

2 Prevention. 

3 (D) The Food and Drug Administration. 

4 (E) The National Academy of Sciences. 

5 (F) Any other Federal agency the Sec6 retary of Agriculture determines appropriate. 

7 (c) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 1 year after 

8 the date of the enactment of this Act, the panel shall sub9 mit to the Secretary of Agriculture and Congress a report 

10 that includes— 

11 (1) recommendations regarding the development 

12 of a climate-friendly certification for agricultural 

13 products that— 

14 (A) moves agricultural producers toward 

15 reducing greenhouse gas emissions on a life16 cycle basis; and 

17 (B) uses market-based approaches that al18 lows for greater consumer choice and education; 

19 and 

20 (2) how such a certification would measure— 

21 (A) the life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions 

22 of agricultural products; 

23 (B) the water usage in production of agri24 cultural products; 


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1 (C) the land use effects of agricultural 

2 products; and 

3 (D) any additional criteria the panel deter4 mines appropriate. 

5 (d) PUBLICATION.—The Secretary of Agriculture 

6 shall make the report required under subsection (c) pub7 licly available on the website of the Department of Agri8 culture. 

9 (e) MORATORIUM ON USE OF CLIMATE-FRIENDLY

10 CERTIFICATION DURING STUDY.—The Secretary of Agri11 culture may not issue any regulations or guidance or oth12 erwise certify or advertise any agricultural product as cli13 mate-friendly before the date on which the report required 

14 under subsection (c) is submitted to Congress. 

Æ 


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