Agricultural interest and climate interest groups clash over $1.4 trillion farm bill

As the United States’ farm bill is nearing its expiration date, agricultural and climate interest groups are at odds over its replacement. With a $1.4 trillion budget, the new bill must be ready by September, but many major questions still need answering. According to the Hill, the primary areas of disagreement include whether the bill should incentivize “big” or “small” agriculture, how to handle farm waste, and how to balance interests to pass it in a divided Congress. The most contentious issue, however, is the battle over climate change legislation.

Democrats plan to turn the farm bill into a climate bill focused on combating climate change, much to the chagrin of Republicans. The House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition’s Climate and Agriculture Task Force aims to invest huge funds into sustainable forestry, conservation programs, and programs that research climate change’s effect on agriculture. “I think this farm bill could really turn out to be a huge climate win,” said Ben Thomas, agricultural senior policy director for the Environmental Defense Fund.

But Republicans are likely to reject the environmentalist propositions and may even attempt to rescind $28.5 billion in agricultural incentives passed through the Inflation Reduction Act and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Some Republicans may entertain some climate change legislation, but only, in the words of Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), if it is “voluntary, incentive-based, and flexible.”

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson (R-PA) and ranking member David Scott (D-GA) released a joint statement on the bill’s progress on March 9, preempting criticism from both sides. They believe that the bill provides the best return on investment, especially given the current economic climate. The House and Senate agricultural committees are continuing hearings regarding the bill, with everyone from big agriculture lobbyists to climate change activists to child nutrition groups scheduled to testify.

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