Farmers, ag policymakers, leaders meet to discuss climate change

A meeting hosted by the US Farmers and Ranchers Alliance in June 2019 brought together farmers, former and current secretaries of agriculture and a suite of about 100 leaders in agricultural groups, food companies, environmental groups and anti-hunger advocates to discuss the impacts of and opportunities resulting from climate change.

“…over the course of the two-day gathering, the group coalesced around big ideas like the need to pay farmers to use their land to draw down carbon from the atmosphere…”

Across the country, farmers are exploring ways to rebuild soil and sequester carbon through a suite of practices and principles known as regenerative agriculture as a way to mitigate a changing climate. In many rural farming communities, discussing climate change is new, but farmers are increasingly experiencing its impacts including drought and too much precipitation. Ag policymakers and other leaders are coming together with farmers in meetings across the country to discuss these issues, and the increasing consumer demand for transparency into on-farm practices. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue spoke at one such event, and though he did not refer to climate change, acknowledged,

“No longer can we sit behind that farm gate and say ‘none of your business.’ It is everyone’s business.”

Read the full story from Politico here.