It’s crunch time.
Congress is on the verge of passing an historic investment in climate and infrastructure through a budget reconciliation process.
Your advocacy and that of other Land Stewardship Project members and supporters has already paid off. Along with our coalition partner, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, we asked for $200 billion for agriculture and food system funding to be included in the infrastructure bill. Minnesota U.S. Senator Tina Smith responded to the call, signing on to our request, and advocated for Senate leadership to support the funding. In the end, Congress has allocated $135 billion, an amount we would not have achieved without public pressure.
What now?
The House and Senate Agriculture Committees will mark up the programs to receive the $135 billion in funding beginning this week. Now they need to hear from us one last time to understand how you want this funding prioritized. The Land Stewardship Project is advocating for significant investment in conservation programs, climate research, food system infrastructure, and on-farm renewable energy. We also want to communicate the importance of this funding to all members of Congress who will vote on the final bill.
E-mail Your Members of Congress
Join us in making sure that farmers, ranchers, and food system workers on the front lines of the climate crisis get the funding they need to implement soil health practices and to strengthen local food systems.
Let your members of Congress know what we need:
- $30 billion for climate-friendly agriculture and working lands conservation programs
- $5 billion for climate-resiliency-focused sustainable and organic agriculture research
- $3 billion for value-added agriculture, on-farm renewable energy, and livestock processing
(Check out this new research from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy to understand why our conservation programs need more funding.)
This bill provides an opportunity to invest in our communities today and to build resilient communities for the next generation. It's time to take action. Please let your members of Congress know what you need them to do.
