Title: Expressing support for regenerative agriculture and other conservation practices to support more sustainable and resilient agriculture, and compensating farmers for providing environmental services.
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
This resolution expresses congressional support for legislation to pay farmers and ranchers in all 50 states and territories for ecological services for climate change mitigation and adaptation, among other conservation initiatives.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1234 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1234

Expressing support for regenerative agriculture and other conservation 
 practices to support more sustainable and resilient agriculture, and 
       compensating 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 providing environmental services.

Whereas regenerative agriculture is a system of farming and ranching principles 
        and practices that increases biodiversity, 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;
Whereas global warming threatens national security and global stability, and is 
        causing ethnic tension, warfare, and strife;
Whereas, in 2017, globally, there were 18,800,000 new disaster-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 Intergovernmental 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 Climate 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 has increased, on average, by 
        slightly more than 1 percent per year;
Whereas the special report states further that avoiding, reducing, and reversing 
        desertification through the implementation 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 decreased 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, corporate 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 improvements, 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 environmental challenges 
        is to compensate farmers and ranchers for providing environmental 
        services;
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 enhancements include conservation tillage, 
        cover crops, integrating crops and livestock, permaculture, resource-
        conserving 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 Conservation Reserve Program, and other 
        Federal conservation programs is not only to increase the adoption of 
        environmental 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 Department 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 environmental 
        entrepreneurs to achieve environmental outcomes on a whole farm 
        basis, allowing them to voluntarily use the regenerative and 
        other conservation agriculture practices that work best on 
        their operations and provide the highest performance for 
        environmental benefits;
            (2) will enact legislation that will pay farmers and 
        ranchers in all 50 States and territories for ecological 
        services for climate change mitigation and adaptation, 
        including payments for innovations that increase performance 
        outcomes;
            (3) will support and fund programs that provide 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 supporting regional-, 
        State-, and local-based Natural Resources Conservation Service, 
        Farm Service Agency, and Rural Development offices and staff; 
        and
            (5) expresses a sense of Congress that the Secretary of 
        Agriculture, in partnership with Department of Agriculture 
        research agencies, land grant university scientists, the Office 
        of the Chief Economist, and any other entity the Secretary of 
        Agriculture 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, systems-
                based, whole farm performance, climate and 
                environmental solutions outcomes;
                    (C) expanding public and private soil health 
                efforts to accelerate climate change adaptation 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.
                                 <all>