It was introduced by U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Don Beyer (D-Virginia), and Mike Lawler (New York). Innovative practices in soil health methodsimproving the health of farm soils and improving the health of annual farms by improving USDA conservation programs to better support farmers who incorporate perennial systems and agroforestry into their operations. Bipartisan legislation to support sustainable alternatives to.
“Farmers in Maine and across the country are on the front lines of the climate crisis, dealing with severe droughts, flooding, wildfires, and other extreme weather events.” said Pingree, a longtime farmer and member of the House Agriculture Committee.. “To make our food systems more resilient and ensure our farmers survive the worsening climate crisis, we must encourage and invest in climate-smart practices. Me and Bayer Rep. and Rep. Lawler’s Innovative Practices for Soil Health Act will do just that by promoting soil health, investing in agroforestry research and development, and encouraging greenhouse gas reductions. . Our bipartisan, commonsense bill will benefit both sides.”
“Agriculture in America faces many challenges today, including harmful soil erosion exacerbated by extreme weather events caused by the climate crisis.” Mr. Bayer said.. “Our bill supports the health and sustainability of American farms by ensuring USDA has the resources it needs to be a strong partner to farmers who prioritize perennial agriculture and agroforestry.” These practices not only promote soil health and increase soil resilience to extreme weather events and erosion, but also reduce long-term agricultural productivity and the impact of agriculture on watersheds and wildlife. We will improve.”
“The Soil Health Innovation Act encourages healthy soil management, increases overall farm productivity, and stimulates microbial life by assisting farmers in utilizing perennial plant systems and agroforestry.” Lawler said.. “This is a win for farmers, a win for the environment, and a win for American families. Along with my colleagues Don Beyer and Chellie Pingree, I introduced this common-sense, bipartisan bill. I’m proud to be able to do this.”
“Innovative Practices for Soil Health provides common sense, straightforward support for high-impact perennial practices through the NRCS Conservation Program, and provides new and exciting support for high-impact perennial practices through a series of agroforestry centers. It also ensures improved USDA technical capacity for sustainable perennial practices.” said Jesse Womack, a conservation expert with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.. “This bill is a win for farmers who are committed to building soil health across their operations through plant diversity and strong, living roots.”
“We applaud Reps. Beyer, Rohrer, and Pingree for introducing the Innovative Practices for Soil Health Act of 2024. It has the potential to unlock important incentives to adopt carbon storage practices.” Said Carbon180 Deputy Director of Policy Chrisel Zoebisch. “By making targeted changes to federal conservation programs and expanding technical assistance to innovative, climate-friendly production systems, this bill would give producers the power to revitalize soils as carbon sinks and provide resilience against extreme weather events. It will give them the tools they need to become more powerful.”
In agriculture, common annual crops and monocultures require tilling, which can disrupt natural soil structure, increase erosion, and create dependence on harmful fertilizers and pesticides. Perennial and agroforestry systems require less soil disturbance, improving soil structure, preventing erosion, increasing ecosystem nutrient retention, and promoting carbon sequestration.
However, properly designing, installing and maintaining perennial systems and agroforestry on farms is a long and complex process with real costs. Innovative Practices for Soil Health assists these farmers by improving USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs, Conservation Stewardship Programs (CSP), and Environmental Quality Incentives Programs (EQIP). Increase technical assistance to farmers implementing perennial systems. and designates four national and regional agroforestry centers.
The text of the Innovative Practices for Soil Health Act is available here and a summary of the bill is available here.
Pingree is the author of the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA), a sweeping piece of legislation that sets out a bold vision for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in U.S. agriculture by 2040. Improving soil health is one of Pingree's six specific policy areas that his ARA focuses on. .
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