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Considering agriculture’s efforts when creating climate policy

American Farm Bureau Chief Economist John Newton says farmers and ranchers continue to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and their efforts should be recognized when lawmakers consider climate policies.

“As the policy debate on capital hill starts to intensify, of course after we get through our current situation related to covid-19, but as we start to talk about what we can do to address the changing climate, agriculture is part of the solution, it is not the problem,” he says.

A recent AFBF analysis of EPA data on economic sectors’ contributions to greenhouse gas emissions builds on data shared during the launch of Farmers for a Sustainable Future.

The coalition of agricultural groups is meant to serve as a primary resource for lawmakers and policy makers considering climate policies.

“You have all of these groups at the table, and while we all could do it individually, this effort really is about identifying some common principles and some common themes and communicating agriculture’s success story,” he says.

Newton says it’s important for farmers and ranchers to share how efficiency gains help them do more with less and have a lower carbon footprint.