WASHINGTON
– Iowa Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) today continued to
build on their work to recognize Iowa farmers’ commitment to conservation and
responsible land stewardship by introducing the
Growing
Climate Solutions Act, alongside a bipartisan group of colleagues. This
legislation would create a certification program at the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) to help solve technical entry barriers for farmer and forest
landowners interested in entering carbon credit markets.
“Iowa
farmers continue to lead the way in conservation measures that help the
environment and have also proven to sequester carbon,” Grassley said.
“This is a commonsense bill that will remove barriers to entry for farmers
interested in participating in the carbon marketplace. I’m proud to join my
colleagues in introducing this important bipartisan legislation that will
continue to support these responsible farming efforts.”
“Iowa’s
hardworking farmers continue to lead the way on conservation, and they’ve
already made tremendous strides in practicing responsible stewardship of their
land and farm while promoting a clean environment,” Ernst said. “Carbon
credit markets provide our ag community with an avenue to capitalize on their
ongoing commitment to sustainable farming, and it’s critical that we dissolve
any obstacles standing in the way of this untapped potential. That’s why I’m
proud to support this bipartisan effort to reduce barriers for Iowa farmers
looking to enter carbon credit markets and adopt climate-smart conservation
practices.”
“Iowa
pig farmers take great pride in their environmental stewardship practices. They
are committed to the long-term protection of Iowa’s natural resources. Thanks
to continuing advancements in nutrition, genetics, and overall animal care,
Iowa pig farmers are doing more with less. We appreciate this bipartisan effort
to assist the private sector in setting guidance, standards, and certification
to recognize the hard work being done by Iowa pig farmers to reduce their carbon
footprint. We would like to thank Senators Ernst and Grassley for their
leadership on this important issue and look forward to passage of this
legislation,” Drew Mogler, Public Policy Director at Iowa Pork producers
Association said.
“The
Iowa Soybean Association is a strong supporter of voluntary, market and
outcomes-based solutions that recognize farmers’ roles as suppliers of
ecosystem services. By incorporating climate-smart conservation practices,
farmers can optimize production, improve water quality and resiliency, and
store carbon in their soils for future generations. The Growing Climate
Solutions Act provides a clearer pathway for carbon market participation. As
farmers navigate weather challenges and changing climate, we are grateful to
Senators Ernst and Grassley for continuing to champion legislation that ensures
farmers have a seat at the table and empowers them to diversify income streams
through innovative solutions that incentivize positive environmental outcomes,”
Iowa Soybean Association President Jeff Jorgenson said.
The
Growing
Climate Solutions Act would create a certification program at USDA to
help solve technical entry barriers to farmer and forest landowner
participation in carbon credit markets, including access to reliable
information about markets, qualified technical service providers and protocol
verifiers. The bill would also:
·
Establish
the Greenhouse Gas Technical Service Provider and Third-Party Verifier
Certification Program, allowing USDA to provide transparency, legitimacy,
and informal endorsement of third party verifiers.
·
Guide
USDA to publish protocols and standards for existing carbon credit markets
widely used across agriculture and forestry and help connect landowners to
private sector actors who can assist them with implementing the protocols and
monetizing the climate value of their sustainable practices.
·
Instruct
USDA to produce a report to Congress to advise about the further development of
this policy area, including but not limited to, barriers to market entry,
challenges raised by farmers and forest landowners, and market performance.