Letter from Leadership — Opportunities for agriculture

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Letter from Leadership — Opportunities for agriculture

Tuesday, November 1, 2022 (0 Comments)

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By Tim Trotter

It is an exciting time for agriculture.

Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a first-of-its-kind program focused on building a more sustainable food system. In total, their Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program will invest north of $3 billion to help farmers implement sustainability projects that reduce their carbon footprint, document the improvements and demonstrate value in the supply chain.

Through this program, Edge will receive up to $50 million to enhance the work farmers are already implementing to build healthy soils, protect water quality and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Edge’s pilot program — Farmer-led Climate Smart Commodities Initiative: Building Success from the Ground Up — will significantly expand a nationally recognized model for farm-level sustainability projects.

An array of partners will join Edge in its program, including farmer-led conservation groups, environmental organizations, processors, universities and others. Among them is Farmers for Sustainable Food, a collaboration of food system partners founded partly by Edge.

Perhaps the most significant component of this announcement is that USDA has listened to the farming community. We firmly believe that our farmers are innovators and want what is best for our natural resources. The agricultural community will drive USDA’s program with farmer-led projects like those already in place with groups like Edge and FSF.

Edge is finalizing the pilot program details and how to qualify for a participating project. Stay tuned for information as it is available.

Agriculture has an opportunity to lay the foundation for our next generation of farmers, both environmentally and financially. Because of the work done by our members, DBA and Edge stand ready to lead as we enter this new age. To say I am proud of the work done already is an understatement. Your leadership has delivered us to this point and will continue to take us to new heights.