“Growing Climate Solution Act” Gains Support in U. S. Senate — Part 2

What They’re Saying About the Growing Climate Solutions Act — Part 2

From the Office of Senator Mike Braun (Indiana), United States Congress, April 22, 2021

QUOTES IN SUPPORT OF THE GROWING CLIMATE SOLUTIONS ACT:

“Since the earliest biblical record (Genesis 2:15), Christians have been called to tend and care for God’s creation. Many of our nation’s farmers are practicing Christians who believe in this biblical calling but have found it difficult with falling incomes and low crop prices. The Growing Climate Solutions Act provides a way for the agriculture community–especially family farms–to increase income, enrich soil, sequester carbon, and empower American farmers as part of the climate solution. The Growing Climate Solutions Act establishes a Verifier Certification Program providing a uniform carbon measuring method that ensures farmers a fair price and an accountable carbon markets,” said Rev. Mitch Hescox, President of the Evangelical Environmental Network

“Climate change directly impacts the farmers, ranchers and forest owners who rely on a healthy environment to produce food and forest products. The Growing Climate Solutions Act would ensure agricultural producers and forest owners of all sizes looking to enter the carbon market for the first time have access to reliable information, qualified technical service providers and third-party verifiers. In addition, the bill establishes a robust USDA advisory council composed of farmers, scientists and other climate stakeholders. FACA would like to recognize Chairwoman Stabenow and Ranking Member Boozman for their work together to ensure producer representation on the advisory council,” said the Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance

“Today, on Earth Day, we applaud Senators Stabenow, Braun, Graham, and Whitehouse and the broad and bipartisan list of co-sponsors for their leadership on the Growing Climate Solutions Act. Our ag communities are already eager to play a large role in reducing emissions nationwide and soil carbon sequestration expands this participation in our nation’s climate change strategy. The Growing Climate Solutions Act rightly rewards farmers for climate-smart practices and provides important guidelines for success,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor

“We applaud Ag Committee leaders Senators Stabenow, Braun and Boozman on the release of the Growing Climate Solutions Act, an important step in helping farmers participate in maturing agricultural carbon markets. The GCSA can strengthen the existing voluntary carbon market by providing a USDA stamp of approval on high quality greenhouse gas (GHG) credit programs that provide incentives to farmers to participate in these markets. We look forward to advancing solutions alongside Congress for climate-smart agriculture to deliver on its potential and value for farmers, buyers, and the planet,” said Chris Harbourt, Global Head of Indigo Carbon.

“When governments invest in farmers, our communities and environment thrive. State department of agriculture leaders understand the central role agriculture serves in building climate resiliency and preserving our shared natural resources. NASDA is proud to support the Growing Climate Solutions Act, as it acknowledges and invests producers’ contribution to environmental sustainability and unites the industry around climate goals,” said Dr. Barb Glenn, CEO of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture

“Climate change is an all-hands-on-deck crisis, and our working lands are critical to warding off the worst effects of a warming planet. This bill will help provide a better future for both people and wildlife by opening up opportunities for farmers, foresters, and ranchers to reduce emissions and increase revenues, while also improving the places that birds need to survive. While the fight against climate change will require the broad participation of all sectors, agricultural stewards are a critical part of the solution. The people who know the land best are the people that work it every day, and this bill presents sensible and bipartisan solutions to ensure a cleaner environment for us all,” said Sarah Greenberger, Senior Vice President for Conservation Policy of the National Audubon Society

“Corn farmers have been leaders in adopting conservation practices to improve the quality of soil, water, and air around our farms. We are pleased to endorse the Growing Climate Solutions Act which would lay the groundwork for private agriculture carbon markets by authorizing USDA to certify credit verification services. This bipartisan effort recognizes agriculture’s role in combating climate change. NCGA thanks the Senators for their leadership and looks forward to working together to implement policy that benefits both the environment and farmers’ bottom line,” said John Linder, President of the National Corn Growers Association.

“The U.S. cotton industry fully supports this legislation which will direct USDA to provide producers with reliable information and remove technical barriers to participating in private carbon credit markets,” said Kent Fountain, Chairman of the National Cotton Council Chairman

“The Growing Climate Solutions Act is a critical step to breaking down barriers and providing certainty to farmer co-op members and other producers who want to participate in carbon markets. I would like to thank Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) for their leadership in reintroducing the bill with broad bipartisan support. If farmers are to be part of solving climate challenges they need to rely on proven science, accurate data and standardization to help us get there—this bill is an important step in that direction,” said Chuck Conner, President and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives

“Recognizing the potential of climate-smart agriculture, a patchwork of carbon markets has sprung up to incentivize and reward such practices. However, there is currently no formal oversight of these markets or uniformity among them for criteria, payment rates, or measurement, which can make selecting the right one a confusing and overwhelming process. By creating a certification program, the Growing Climate Solutions Act would bring much-needed clarity and certainty to this burgeoning sector, thus making it easier for farmers to obtain the financial resources they need to invest in climate solutions. We welcome and support this important initiative and will continue working with the committee to leverage agriculture in our fight against the climate crisis,” said Rob Larew, President of the National Farmers Union

“Climate and New Ag is one of the most important issues that this Congress is addressing. Growing Climate Solution Act is a major step towards providing farmers, and those who are considering growing hemp as America’s new natural resource and commodity crop, more reason to do so”, said Geoff Whaling, Chair of the National Hemp Association

“We commend Chairwoman Stabenow and Senator Braun for continuing their bipartisan leadership on the Growing Climate Solutions Act, which would encourage greater farmer participation in environmental markets. This legislation will enhance the proactive, sustainable initiatives dairy farmers are expanding as our sector strives to achieve carbon neutrality,” said Jim Mulhern, President and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation

“As stewards of the land, U.S. potato growers are committed to advancing environmentally sustainable solutions that reduce the industry’s carbon footprint. We appreciate this bipartisan effort to recognize and support America’s farmers by developing voluntary, cost-effective, and economically sustainable practices through incentives that drive climate solutions,” said Dominic LaJoie, President of the National Potato Council

“Farmers are on the front lines mitigating and responding to the impacts of climate change while adapting and innovating to keep the lands they steward productive now and for future generations. We applaud members from both sides of the aisle who have come together to advance a bipartisan bill that will move the sustainability discussion forward in a meaningful way while ensuring farmers have a seat at the table as climate policy is crafted,” said Kody Carson, Chairman of the National Sorghum Producers.

“America’s farmers have a crucial role to play in addressing our changing climate and adopting climate-friendly practices that naturally sequester carbon. This bipartisan bill will help agricultural producers participate in voluntary carbon markets. Thank you to Senators Braun and Stabenow for their leadership in finding solutions that not only act on climate, but also work for farmers, ranchers, and forest owners alike,” said Aviva Glaser, Director of Agriculture Policy at the National Wildlife Federation

“We are proud to support the Growing Climate Solutions Act. As the world’s leading agricultural retailer and provider of crop inputs and services, we appreciate the role that the ag sector plays in finding solutions to address climate change. This bill ultimately would help facilitate farmers’ participation in carbon markets, rewarding them for good environmental stewardship while protecting our natural resources. We stand ready to work with Members of Congress and our farmer customers as this bill progresses,” said Brent Smith, Vice President of Marketing and Products at Nutrien

“S2G Ventures applauds Chairwoman Stabenow, Ranking Member Boozman, Senators Braun, Graham and Whitehouse and the other Senate co-sponsors for their leadership on the bipartisan Growing Climate Solutions Act of 2021. As one of the most active investors in innovative and sustainable food and agriculture start-ups, we see this legislation as a critical step in unlocking the potential of carbon markets by creating opportunities for innovators to bring cutting edge ag tech tools to farmers and ranchers so they can better measure and maximize revenue from their positive impact. On behalf of our companies and in support of the thousands of small farms, ranch and agricultural businesses across the country, we urge the quick passage of the Growing Climate Solutions Act of 2021,” said Sanjeev Krishnan, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director of S2G Ventures

“The Sustainable Food Policy Alliance commends Chairwoman Stabenow, Ranking Member Boozman, Senators Braun, Graham and Whitehouse and the other Senate co-sponsors of the Growing Climate Solutions Act of 2021 for their leadership in advancing bipartisan legislation that uses incentives, common metrics, and quantification tools to reduce emissions and transition to low-carbon alternatives while also providing an opportunity to create value for farmers, ranchers, and others who are implementing leading edge practices to cut greenhouse gas emissions. We look forward to working with the Senators and others who are working on the creation of these types of programs that can pave the way for the agricultural supply chain to continue reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and capacity and embrace ambitious and innovative solutions to address the climate crisis,” said the Sustainable Food Policy Alliance, made up of Danone North America, Mars, Incorporated, Nestlé USA, and Unilever United States

“The U.S. Chamber of Commerce applauds Senators Stabenow, Braun, Boozman, and the other bipartisan cosponsors of the Growing Climate Solutions Act. Through its innovative framework that rewards farmers and other land managers for taking voluntary actions to reduce emissions, this legislation would facilitate a new, cost-effective option for addressing climate change. Promoting responsible resource management through financial incentives for conservation and sustainable land-use practices is a win-win policy that will benefit American agriculture, their supply chain, and the broader business community as well as the environment. It is also consistent with the business community’s priorities for flexible, market-based solutions, and we look forward to working with Congress to help it become law,” said Marty Durbin, Senior Vice President for Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

“AFBF welcomes the introduction of the Growing Climate Solutions Act, which builds on the strong foundation of environmental stewardship in American agriculture by providing more clarity and guidance for farmers and ranchers as they explore or expand participation in carbon markets. This bill is evidence lawmakers can come together in a bipartisan manner to find solutions to environmental challenges while respecting the role of farmers and ranchers as they feed families around the globe. I commend Sens. Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Braun (R-Ind.) for working with Ranking Member Boozman (R-Ark.) to introduce an improved Growing Climate Solutions Act,” said Zippy Duvall, President of the American Farm Bureau Federation.

“The Growing Climate Solutions Act is the first major piece of bipartisan legislation to help ensure farmers, ranchers and foresters benefit from reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and building climate resilience. Agriculture has a great opportunity to measurably contribute to climate solutions, from cutting emissions of nitrous oxide, methane and carbon dioxide, to storing carbon. EDF commends the bill’s co-sponsors for seeing this potential and paving the way for farmers to be part of the solution,” said Elizabeth Gore, Senior Vice President of Political Affairs at Environmental Defense Fund.

“Passage of the Growing Climate Solutions Act would be a big win for agriculture, conservation and the climate. Farmers, ranchers and forest landowners are critical to helping combat climate change, but they need a straightforward way to tap revenue streams for implementing climate-friendly practices. This bill would help ensure producers are recognized and rewarded for the role they play. We are grateful to the sponsors for working across the aisle to support natural climate solutions and address the climate challenge,” said Lynn Scarlett, Chief External Affairs Officer, The Nature Conservancy.

“Farmers, at their core, are businessmen, but they are also conservationists and they are also environmentalists. Farmers want to do the right thing for their farms, their ranches, so that they can sustain those operations, not just over their lifetime, but over generations. This Act gives us the opportunity to do those things and have some guidance and direction in what practices are good for the environment and there is an economic benefit for doing those particular things,” said Brent Bible, Indiana corn and soybean farmer

“McDonald’s is committed to working collaboratively with our suppliers and agricultural producers to achieve our science-based climate commitments. The Growing Climate Solutions Act takes important steps toward supporting voluntary carbon credit markets that enhance assistance for farmers and ranchers that use climate smart agricultural practices. We advocate for incentives, recognition and rewards for agriculture operations that quantifiably deliver positive environmental impacts and foster agricultures unique ability to act as a climate solution. McDonald’s appreciates Senators Braun and Stabenow’s leadership to introduce common sense climate policy that benefits both agriculture producers and the environment,” said Marion Gross, McDonald’s Chief Supply Chain Officer, North America.

“Families and individuals, who make up 36% of US forests, are already making an essential contribution toward mitigating climate change, but with appropriate incentives—could double the amount of carbon sequestered. We are extremely grateful to Senators Stabenow and Braun for advancing bipartisan legislation that helps remove the technical barriers for market entry to perform sustainable management practices that provide additional climate benefits,” said Tom Martin, President and CEO of the American Forest Foundation.

“The reintroduction of the Growing Climate Solutions Act continues bipartisan leadership and momentum to support voluntary approaches to help producers participate in new marketplace opportunities. This legislation is an important step toward developing the building blocks for supporting ecosystem markets and establishing stewardship as a viable revenue stream for producers, and we look forward to continuing to support the Committee as the bill moves forward,” said Jason Weller, President of President of Truterra, LLC, the sustainability business and subsidiary of Land O’Lakes, Inc.

“The bipartisan Growing Climate Solutions Act recognizes farmers, agribusinesses and rural communities as key allies in the fight against climate change. Our agriculture sector brings the cutting-edge technology and entrepreneurial spirit needed to help tackle this historic challenge. We appreciate Senator Debbie Stabenow and Senator Mike Braun for leading a bipartisan proposal to reward agricultural innovation, amplify climate solutions that start on America’s farms, and spark new market opportunities for agriculture,” said Chuck Lippstreu, President of the Michigan Agri-Business Association.

“The Growing Climate Solutions Act will help private forest owners of all sizes to deliver carbon mitigation benefits at scale. This climate-smart legislation will empower the USDA to act as a catalyst for maximizing the carbon benefits of private working forests. The bill creates the opportunity for USDA to reduce barriers to participation, leverage technology to reduce costs, and improve efficiency while maintaining rigor for carbon sequestration outcomes,” said Dave Tenny, President & CEO of the National Alliance of Forest Owners.