[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1234 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1234
Expressing support for regenerative agriculture and other conservation
practices to support more sustainable and resilient agriculture, and
compensating farmers for providing environmental services.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 19, 2022
Mr. Khanna submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Agriculture
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RESOLUTION
Expressing support for regenerative agriculture and other conservation
practices to support more sustainable and resilient agriculture, and
compensating farmers for providing environmental services.
Whereas regenerative agriculture is a system of farming and ranching principles
and practices that increases biodiversity, enriches the soil, and
purifies watersheds, all while increasing in-farm fertility;
Whereas our climate is in crisis;
Whereas communities are impacted negatively by global warming, the rapid loss of
species and habitat, poor water quality, degradation of soil health,
flooding, desertification, wildfires, and threats to our long-term food
security;
Whereas global warming threatens national security and global stability, and is
causing ethnic tension, warfare, and strife;
Whereas, in 2017, globally, there were 18,800,000 new disaster-related internal
displacements, most of which were linked to natural hazards and the
impacts of the climate crisis;
Whereas the climate crisis relates to how we use our land and natural resources;
Whereas regenerative agriculture, conservation practices, and sustainable
agriculture policies can benefit both farmer profitability and
environmental performance;
Whereas land-based climate solutions are essential to meeting international
climate goals;
Whereas the special report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change on limiting global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius finds
that removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere is necessary to
compensate for emissions from economic sectors that are difficult to
decarbonize;
Whereas a study from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and
Medicine found that land-based climate solutions are essential negative
emissions technologies to accomplish net-zero greenhouse gas emissions;
Whereas the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change special
report on Climate Change and Land states that about a quarter of the
Earth's ice-free land area is subject to human-induced degradation;
Whereas the special report states further that over the period 1961 to 2013, the
annual area of drylands in drought has increased, on average, by
slightly more than 1 percent per year;
Whereas the special report states further that avoiding, reducing, and reversing
desertification through the implementation of climate-friendly practices
on farms and ranches would enhance soil fertility and increase carbon
storage in soils and biomass, while benefiting agricultural productivity
and food security;
Whereas American farmers and ranchers are facing long-term economic challenges;
Whereas the number of farms in the United States has decreased in every year of
the past decade;
Whereas farm debt is at its highest level since the farm crisis of the 1980s;
Whereas record levels of farmer debt and bankruptcies were caused by chronic
overproduction, trade disputes, corporate consolidation, and a series of
extreme weather events;
Whereas, according to the Department of Agriculture's 2020 Farm Sector Income
Projections, direct government farm payments, with little focus on
environmental improvements, are forecast at $46,500,000,000 for 2020, a
107-percent increase;
Whereas American farmers and rural communities can lead the world to develop the
new practices and products that will address climate change;
Whereas one of the most cost-effective ways to take on environmental challenges
is to compensate farmers and ranchers for providing environmental
services;
Whereas regenerative practices and sustainable agriculture works to restore
ecosystems, combat climate change, build soil health, prevent erosion,
and improve water quality;
Whereas the Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service
conservation practices and enhancements include conservation tillage,
cover crops, integrating crops and livestock, permaculture, resource-
conserving crop rotations, management-intensive rotational grazing,
agroforestry, and generating renewable energy;
Whereas the goal of the Conservation Stewardship Program, the Environmental
Quality Incentives Program, the Conservation Reserve Program, and other
Federal conservation programs is not only to increase the adoption of
environmental practices but also to solve critical resource concerns and
achieve positive farm and environmental outcomes;
Whereas fair prices for environmental services will deliver economic benefits
for farmers and their communities;
Whereas a fair price can be determined by bringing farmers, ranchers, public
research institutions, and the Department of Agriculture in a
collaborative decision-making process; and
Whereas further investment in regenerative agriculture can promote farmer
innovation and American leadership in combating the climate crisis: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) will support programs to pay farmers as environmental
entrepreneurs to achieve environmental outcomes on a whole farm
basis, allowing them to voluntarily use the regenerative and
other conservation agriculture practices that work best on
their operations and provide the highest performance for
environmental benefits;
(2) will enact legislation that will pay farmers and
ranchers in all 50 States and territories for ecological
services for climate change mitigation and adaptation,
including payments for innovations that increase performance
outcomes;
(3) will support and fund programs that provide resources
to agricultural scientists and other public interest scientists
to work with farmers to identify innovations, the replicability
of regenerative practices, and sustainable and resilient
systems;
(4) will encourage efforts to provide assistance to farmers
and strengthen rural development by supporting regional-,
State-, and local-based Natural Resources Conservation Service,
Farm Service Agency, and Rural Development offices and staff;
and
(5) expresses a sense of Congress that the Secretary of
Agriculture, in partnership with Department of Agriculture
research agencies, land grant university scientists, the Office
of the Chief Economist, and any other entity the Secretary of
Agriculture deems necessary, should study and publish reports
publicly on--
(A) the value of reduced greenhouse gas emissions
secured through the capturing and retention of carbon
in agricultural soils;
(B) the metrics to measure integrated, systems-
based, whole farm performance, climate and
environmental solutions outcomes;
(C) expanding public and private soil health
efforts to accelerate climate change adaptation and
mitigation;
(D) expanding water quality improvement projects to
focus on the tools of regenerative practices and
sustainable agriculture to include climate adaptation
and mitigation; and
(E) developing an integrated approach to farmer-led
clean energy efforts including on-farm energy, energy
storage, energy efficiency, composting, and related
measures.
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