By Jonathan Reinbold, Sustainability, Research & Grant Manager at Organic Valley Here’s an interesting paradox: livestock is both a major contributor to and a solution for excess carbon in the atmosphere, which is intensifying climate change. The most conservative estimates suggest that raising livestock accounts for nearly 15% of global greenhouse gases emitted each year; the … Read More
By Jonathan Reinbold, Sustainability, Research & Grant Manager at Organic Valley Here’s an interesting paradox: livestock is both a major contributor to and a solution for excess carbon in the atmosphere, which is intensifying climate change. The most conservative estimates suggest that raising livestock accounts for nearly 15% of global greenhouse gases emitted each year; the … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 3, 2021 WASHINGTON – The Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance (FACA), now more than 70 members strong, has worked over the past three months to develop specific recommendations for how the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) should approach a potential carbon bank. FACA began sharing those recommendations with USDA and Congress today. … Read More
Dr. Richard Gilmore, President/CEO of GIC Group Do any of us recall that U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiated the Climate Change Impacts and Risks Analysis Project (CIRA) in 2015? Absent new technologies and risk mitigation production strategies, the analysts forecast a decline of irrigated soybeans by 23 percent, sorghum by 22 percent, and wheat … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, NFU Director of Conservation Policy and Education National Farmers Union (NFU) members understand the negative impacts of climate change are exacerbated by greater concentrations of greenhouse gasses in the Earth’s atmosphere. Everyone in the world should be concerned about the broad consequences of climate change, but family farmers are particularly worried about the direct impact climate change … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 29, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Agriculture is uniquely positioned to mitigate climate change – but farmers need the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) support to fully realize that potential, according to National Farmers Union (NFU). In comments submitted today, the family farm organization outlined ways UDSA could better … Read More
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 11, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Four witnesses representing the Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance’s (FACA) founding organizations and co-chairs – American Farm Bureau Federation, Environmental Defense Fund, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives and National Farmers Union – testified today in front of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and … Read More
By Hannah Packman, NFU Communications Director Following his inauguration last Wednesday, President Joe Biden has wasted no time implementing his agenda. In the last week, he has issued more than three dozen executive orders, proclamations, and memoranda on a wide range of issues. Many of these actions have implications for agriculture. Here’s a brief summary … Read More
By Tracy Heim, NFU Intern On the second Monday of every October, Indigenous Peoples’ Day is celebrated across the United States to honor the original inhabitants of the Americas. On this Indigenous Peoples’ Day, National Farmers Union (NFU) celebrates the invaluable contributions of Native Americans and the Indigenous origins of many practices currently used in … Read More
By Jenny Hopkinson, NFU Senior Government Relations Representative It seems everyone in Washington is talking about agriculture’s role in combatting climate change. Across the government, officials are embracing the need for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving soil health – both of which are key for addressing the climate crisis. This summer, there was a … Read More
U.S. family farmers and ranchers must be at the table with lawmakers as they look to enact policies that seek to address climate change. Agriculture has a key role to play in helping the United States adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change. Land management practices can both capture carbon and help the … Read More
While there are opportunities that could be realized with sound climate change policies for agriculture, lawmakers do not need to start from scratch. Universities, research organizations, and state and federal governments are developing and investing in the creation of new land management techniques, technologies, and other best practices farmers and ranchers can employ to improve … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 25, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – As they consider policies and legislation to curb the effects of climate change, federal lawmakers should both recognize the capacity of American family farmers to mitigate and build resilience to climate change as well as enact funding mechanisms to help them do … Read More
By Hannah Packman, NFU Communications Coordinator On the 49th annual celebration of Earth Day, National Farmers Union (NFU) is highlighting the existential threat that climate change poses to American agriculture as well as the critical role of farmers and ranchers in mitigation and adaptation efforts. “Climate change is the single greatest challenge facing family farmers, … Read More
By Matt Perdue, NFU Government Relations Director Environmental sustainability is critical for the future of family farming and ranching and for the health of our rural communities. As concerns over water quality, soil health and the wide-ranging effects of climate-change mount, incentives-based conservation programs are more important now than ever. The 2018 Farm Bill maintains … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 21, 2018 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] WASHINGTON – On behalf of its nearly 200,000 farm family members, the National Farmers Union (NFU) Board of Directors today unanimously approved a resolution in support of the Senate’s bipartisan efforts to advance a farm bill. The NFU Board urged the Senate to quickly … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 21, 2018 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] WASHINGTON – On behalf of its nearly 200,000 farm family members, the National Farmers Union (NFU) Board of Directors today unanimously approved a resolution in support of the Senate’s bipartisan efforts to advance a farm bill. The NFU Board urged the Senate to quickly … Read More
Policy of the National Farmers Union Click here for the PDF version Enacted by delegates to the 115th anniversary convention San Diego, CA March 5 – 8, 2017 National Farmers Union Mission and Vision Statements Mission – To advocate for the economic and social well-being, and quality of life of family farmers, ranchers, fishermen and consumers … Read More
By Janan Lenzy, NFU Intern The Paris Climate Agreement was constructed within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in December of 2015. Adopted by consensus, the agreement aims to maintain “a global temperature rise” of less than 2 degrees Celsius or 35.6 degrees Fahrenheit by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improving … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, Director of NFU Foundation and Conservation Policy Climate change presents an enormous threat to farming and food security. A 2015 assessment report conducted by the U.S. Global Change Research Program noted that some models project the number of people at risk of undernourishment could grow by as many as 175 million by … Read More
By Hannah Packman, NFU Communications Coordinator Climate science, a multidisciplinary field that addresses the causes and effects of climate change, predicts future trends, and establishes mitigation and adaptation practices, is increasingly vital as extreme temperatures and erratic weather become more common. We all benefit from climate change research, but it is particularly critical for family … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 12, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] WASHINGTON – As President Donald Trump weighs the merits of keeping the United States in the Paris Agreement, National Farmers Union (NFU) is urging the administration to maintain U.S. commitments to global leadership on climate change. The Paris Agreement is vital to enhancing the … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 12, 2017 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] WASHINGTON – As President Donald Trump weighs the merits of keeping the United States in the Paris Agreement, National Farmers Union (NFU) is urging the administration to maintain U.S. commitments to global leadership on climate change. The Paris Agreement is vital to enhancing the … Read More
By Hannah Packman, NFU Communications Coordinator Here on the Climate Column, we have covered a number of conservation practices, many of which are specific either to cropland, such as alley cropping, or to livestock, such as waste management. One approach that incorporates both livestock and land is prescribed grazing, which, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural … Read More