100 Farm, Food and Environmental Groups Call for Real Climate Solutions in Budget Reconciliation
Groups urge investments to make food system more healthy, equitable and sustainableWashington, DC — Today more than 100 farm, food and environmental organizations outlined opportunities in budget reconciliation to make our food system more equitable, just and environmentally sound. In a letter to the Biden Administration and Congressional leaders, the groups also highlight ways the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) can provide much-needed support to farmers that were historically excluded or denied aid.
Specifically, the groups urge the USDA to help family farms of all sizes combat climate change and provide equitable access to nutritious, sustainable and climate-friendly foods. Additionally, the letter calls for climate mitigation and adaptation research to be publicly owned and focus on ecologically regenerative growing practices.
“Budget reconciliation offers an urgent opportunity to fund real climate solutions for American agriculture,” said Jason Davidson, Senior Food and Agriculture Campaigner with Friends of the Earth. “These resources must be tightly tailored for farmers USDA has historically left behind. Public research funding must accelerate the shift to science-based ecologically regenerative agriculture, instead of pouring taxpayer dollars into unproven patented technologies that further entrench the power of agribusiness monopolies.”
“Family farmers around the world are among the first to notice and suffer climate chaos. Yet, corporate agribusiness is now pushing many false solutions to climate change — drought-tolerant GMOs, pesticide-based no-till, agrofuel monocultures, manure digesters — that will only make matters worse,” said John Peck, Executive Director of Family Farm Defenders. “If we are to survive as a species and a planet, we need to demand more than ‘net-zero.’ A just transition to agroecology and food sovereignty is one of those bold steps we must take now.
“The droughts and wildfires this year are deeply affecting farmers of all sizes and types, making clear that responding to the climate crisis can’t wait,” said Ben Lilliston, Director of Climate Strategies at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. “We need Congress to meet the urgency of the climate challenge by making deep investments in a transition away from a polluting factory farm system, toward agroecological systems that are more resilient, emit less, and better benefit rural communities”
“The climate crisis is here — and millions of people are being impacted by heat waves, monsoons, wildfires, and other deadly disasters. Big Ag’s destructive actions have furthered the climate crisis by polluting the air we breathe and the water we drink — disproportionately impacting communities of color and rural farming communities,” said Lauren Maunus, Sunrise Movement Advocacy Director. “We must put an end to these practices and pass a bold reconciliation package, including a fully funded Civilian Climate Corps, that includes good food system jobs. The livelihood and sustainability of our communities depends on it.”
Communications contact: Kerry Skiff, [email protected], 202-222-0723