IV 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1234 
Expressing support for regenerative agriculture and other conservation prac-
tices to support more sustainable and resilient agriculture, and compen-
sating farmers for providing environmental services. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 19, 2022 
Mr. KHANNA submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Agriculture 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing support for regenerative agriculture and other 
conservation practices to support more sustainable and 
resilient agriculture, and compensating farmers for pro-
viding environmental services. 
Whereas regenerative agriculture is a system of farming and 
ranching principles and practices that increases biodiver-
sity, enriches the soil, and purifies watersheds, all while 
increasing in-farm fertility; 
Whereas our climate is in crisis; 
Whereas communities are impacted negatively by global 
warming, the rapid loss of species and habitat, poor 
water quality, degradation of soil health, flooding, 
desertification, wildfires, and threats to our long-term 
food security; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:05 Jul 20, 2022
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR1234.IH
HR1234
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
•HRES 1234 IH 
Whereas global warming threatens national security and glob-
al stability, and is causing ethnic tension, warfare, and 
strife; 
Whereas, in 2017, globally, there were 18,800,000 new dis-
aster-related internal displacements, most of which were 
linked to natural hazards and the impacts of the climate 
crisis; 
Whereas the climate crisis relates to how we use our land and 
natural resources; 
Whereas regenerative agriculture, conservation practices, and 
sustainable agriculture policies can benefit both farmer 
profitability and environmental performance; 
Whereas land-based climate solutions are essential to meeting 
international climate goals; 
Whereas the special report of the United Nations Intergov-
ernmental Panel on Climate Change on limiting global 
warming to 1.5 degree Celsius finds that removal of 
greenhouse gases from the atmosphere is necessary to 
compensate for emissions from economic sectors that are 
difficult to decarbonize; 
Whereas a study from the National Academies of Sciences, 
Engineering, and Medicine found that land-based climate 
solutions are essential negative emissions technologies to 
accomplish net-zero greenhouse gas emissions; 
Whereas the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Cli-
mate Change special report on Climate Change and Land 
states that about a quarter of the Earth’s ice-free land 
area is subject to human-induced degradation; 
Whereas the special report states further that over the period 
1961 to 2013, the annual area of drylands in drought 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:05 Jul 20, 2022
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR1234.IH
HR1234
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
•HRES 1234 IH 
has increased, on average, by slightly more than 1 per-
cent per year; 
Whereas the special report states further that avoiding, re-
ducing, and reversing desertification through the imple-
mentation of climate-friendly practices on farms and 
ranches would enhance soil fertility and increase carbon 
storage in soils and biomass, while benefiting agricultural 
productivity and food security; 
Whereas American farmers and ranchers are facing long-term 
economic challenges; 
Whereas the number of farms in the United States has de-
creased in every year of the past decade; 
Whereas farm debt is at its highest level since the farm crisis 
of the 1980s; 
Whereas record levels of farmer debt and bankruptcies were 
caused by chronic overproduction, trade disputes, cor-
porate consolidation, and a series of extreme weather 
events; 
Whereas, according to the Department of Agriculture’s 2020 
Farm Sector Income Projections, direct government farm 
payments, with little focus on environmental improve-
ments, are forecast at $46,500,000,000 for 2020, a 107- 
percent increase; 
Whereas American farmers and rural communities can lead 
the world to develop the new practices and products that 
will address climate change; 
Whereas one of the most cost-effective ways to take on envi-
ronmental challenges is to compensate farmers and 
ranchers for providing environmental services; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:05 Jul 20, 2022
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR1234.IH
HR1234
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
•HRES 1234 IH 
Whereas regenerative practices and sustainable agriculture 
works to restore ecosystems, combat climate change, 
build soil health, prevent erosion, and improve water 
quality; 
Whereas the Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources 
Conservation Service conservation practices and enhance-
ments include conservation tillage, cover crops, inte-
grating crops and livestock, permaculture, resource-con-
serving crop rotations, management-intensive rotational 
grazing, agroforestry, and generating renewable energy; 
Whereas the goal of the Conservation Stewardship Program, 
the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the Con-
servation Reserve Program, and other Federal conserva-
tion programs is not only to increase the adoption of en-
vironmental practices but also to solve critical resource 
concerns and achieve positive farm and environmental 
outcomes; 
Whereas fair prices for environmental services will deliver 
economic benefits for farmers and their communities; 
Whereas a fair price can be determined by bringing farmers, 
ranchers, public research institutions, and the Depart-
ment of Agriculture in a collaborative decision-making 
process; and 
Whereas further investment in regenerative agriculture can 
promote farmer innovation and American leadership in 
combating the climate crisis: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) will support programs to pay farmers as en-
vironmental entrepreneurs to achieve environmental 
outcomes on a whole farm basis, allowing them to 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:05 Jul 20, 2022
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR1234.IH
HR1234
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
•HRES 1234 IH 
voluntarily use the regenerative and other conserva-
tion agriculture practices that work best on their op-
erations and provide the highest performance for en-
vironmental benefits; 
(2) will enact legislation that will pay farmers 
and ranchers in all 50 States and territories for eco-
logical services for climate change mitigation and ad-
aptation, including payments for innovations that in-
crease performance outcomes; 
(3) will support and fund programs that pro-
vide resources to agricultural scientists and other 
public interest scientists to work with farmers to 
identify innovations, the replicability of regenerative 
practices, and sustainable and resilient systems; 
(4) will encourage efforts to provide assistance 
to farmers and strengthen rural development by sup-
porting regional-, State-, and local-based Natural 
Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agen-
cy, and Rural Development offices and staff; and 
(5) expresses a sense of Congress that the Sec-
retary of Agriculture, in partnership with Depart-
ment of Agriculture research agencies, land grant 
university scientists, the Office of the Chief Econo-
mist, and any other entity the Secretary of Agri-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:05 Jul 20, 2022
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR1234.IH
HR1234
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
•HRES 1234 IH 
culture deems necessary, should study and publish 
reports publicly on— 
(A) the value of reduced greenhouse gas 
emissions secured through the capturing and 
retention of carbon in agricultural soils; 
(B) the metrics to measure integrated, sys-
tems-based, whole farm performance, climate 
and environmental solutions outcomes; 
(C) expanding public and private soil 
health efforts to accelerate climate change ad-
aptation and mitigation; 
(D) expanding water quality improvement 
projects to focus on the tools of regenerative 
practices and sustainable agriculture to include 
climate adaptation and mitigation; and 
(E) developing an integrated approach to 
farmer-led clean energy efforts including on- 
farm energy, energy storage, energy efficiency, 
composting, and related measures. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:05 Jul 20, 2022
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HR1234.IH
HR1234
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS