WASHINGTON — The Center for Biological Diversity and partners today petitioned the U.S. Department of Agriculture to increase transparency about the Climate Response Commodity Partnership program and ensure that billions of taxpayer dollars are not spent on programs that actually harm the climate.
Since 2022, USDA has invested more than $3.1 billion through the Partnership Program, with 141 agriculture and forestry projects aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote “climate-smart” products. But recently announced cuts to data sharing under the program and uncertainty about how projects will qualify for funding threaten to undermine the program’s success.
“USDA absolutely needs to address the climate crisis, but if it doesn’t collect enough data to know what is and isn’t working, its much-needed efforts will be wasted and the problem risks getting worse,” said Center attorney Benjamin Rankin. “USDA needs to engage more stakeholders, experts and the public and stop ignoring important information that can help identify and advance the best climate solutions.”
The petition, filed by the center, University of Iowa professor Sylvia Secchi and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, asks the USDA to explain how data is collected and reported through the partnership program and to solicit public input on what should be collected and shared going forward.
The ministry also called for clear methodologies for selecting “climate-smart” projects and evaluating their success. Some of the funded projects involve activities that increase greenhouse gas emissions, such as cattle grazing, timber harvesting and biogas, highlighting the need for data-driven evaluation of the program.
“Through this program, USDA has provided funding to companies responsible for unsustainable practices, so knowing how and where the money is being spent is critical,” said Silvia Secchi, a professor in the University of Iowa’s Department of Geography and Sustainability Sciences. “It’s also important to understand how USDA is measuring and monitoring success, because partial metrics can mask industry-wide harms, such as encouraging the expansion of farms that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.”
Agriculture is responsible for more than one-tenth of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and is the largest source of methane and nitrous oxide in the U.S. These gases have global warming potentials 80 and 270 times greater, respectively, than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period.
“USDA is making a significant public investment that, when published, will be of great value to farmers and the climate,” said Ben Lilliston, director of rural strategies and climate change at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. “Without substantive and clear reporting on outcomes, the program risks becoming a series of one-off projects that don’t move us forward toward a low-emissions, climate-resilient system that works for farmers.”
American farmers are already experiencing the effects of climate change, including soil degradation, changes in precipitation, increased pest and disease exposure, reduced yields, and disrupted growing seasons.
The 2021 executive order states that farmers “have a critical role to play in combating the climate crisis and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.” Since the inception of the partnership program, its primary objective has been to empower farmers to measure, quantify, monitor, and verify the benefits of their efforts to mitigate climate change.
