american farmland trust criticism

We need to remove carbon already in our atmosphere. The ancient Saxons were divided into three main groups: the Westphalians, the Angrians (German: Engern), and the Eastphalians (Ostfalen). AFT has ongoing efforts to secure a stable and robust funding source for the. The ambitious but achievable goal is to permanently protect five percent of working lands by the end of the decade. Align state resources to purchase and protect agricultural lands, allowing new, beginning, and socially disadvantaged farmers to access lands when resold at affordable prices. While representing only about two percent of total farmland, the value of the foreign-owned U.S. farmland soared from $17.4 billion (in today's dollars) to $42.7 billion during that same time period, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data. We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice. Such investments will improve productivity, while simultaneously enhancing our environment. Washington can meet clean energy targets while supporting long-standing goals to preserve natural and working lands. The final rule for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) was published on Feb 4, 2021. Help AFT protect farmland, promote sound farming practices, and keep farmers on the land. Successful farm transfer and land access strategies have never been more important for a new generation of farmers. This legislation would help advance the potential for agrivoltaics to do both.. John Piotti has worked at the forefront of sustainable agriculture since the early 1990s, first in his home state of Maine, and now nationally. [23] AFT's goals are to "double the amount of permanently protected farmland and reduce current loss by 75%, adopt regenerative practices at scale so that agriculture captures more carbon than it emits, and help 600,000 new farmers and ranchers get started and succeed" by 2040.[24]. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice. Troxler cited a July 2022 report from the American Farmland Trust that found North Carolina ranks second in the nation in potential farmland loss by 2040, behind only Texas. Introduced by Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Senator Mike Braun (R-IN), the legislation would establish a framework for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to define and evaluate agrivoltaics to better incorporate the practice of pairing solar energy generation with agricultural production into USDA programs. We'll never share your email address and you can opt out at any time, we promise. AFT is staffed by farmers, policy experts, researchers, and scientists, and governed by a board of directors. The blueprint is contained in No Farms No Food: Uniting Farmers and Environmentalist to Transform Agriculture, now available from Island Press. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice, Read all our latest posts and press releases. In a report on land use policy solutions to protect farmland, the Washington Food Policy Forum recognized urban infill housing as a critical strategy. FPLA is part of a buy-protect-sell strategy for protecting farmland in Washington at risk of development. No Food. [16], AFT has helped shape U.S. farm bills since the 1980s. Please use a new browser like Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Microsoft Edge to improve your experience. The farm debt crisis of the 80s drove many farmers out of business. New book on the organizations history shares why uniting farmers, trade groups and the environmental community is critical to a much-needed revolutionary Farm Bill. When the war ended, Cologne came under . Since our founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect over 6.8million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally-sound farming practices on millions of additional acres and supported thousands of farm families. Forty-four percent of the land in the United States is stewarded by farmers and ranchers. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice. An early and significant example of that was the introduction of the Conservation Title in the 1985 Farm Bill. HB 1552 recognizes that, just as cities preserve parks for open space and recreation, places to grow food are an important amenity for livable communities. Experts predict that we will need to increase food production by 60 percent by the year 2050. We applaud Senator Heinrich and Senator Braun for their forward-thinking leadership in introducing this bill, said Tim Fink, Policy Director for American Farmland Trust. The Sustainable Farms and Fields Program received $30 million to address agricultural waste and emissions reduction through climate-smart livestock management, including anaerobic digestion projects on dairy farms. The case is presented to each side in a manner that is grounded in that constituencys values, stated in their language and respectful of their point of view. . It was to end in 1814 and, a year later, the city became part of Prussia. Model and recommend best practices for effective outreach to woman farmers, while supporting state and federal programs for gender equity. Land on which we all must rely. As the essential transition toward renewable energy accelerates across the country, it must be done in a way that strengthens rural communities and minimizes the footprint on our most productive farmland. This would involve investing more in proven federal programs like Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), as well as pursuing innovative new efforts, such as a national cover crop initiative and a proposed program that would combine technical and financial assistance to advance both conservation and farm viability. The bills introduction comes less than a week after AFT released its recommendations to Congress to advance a Smart Solar buildout in the upcoming Farm Bill that benefits rural communities and protects farmland and farm viability. This bill was recently signed into law by the California governor. To accomplish this, AFT has developed four smart solar principles for policymakers, developers, and communities to follow: Agrivoltaics refers to the practices of integrating solar energy generation and farming on the same piece of land, which could potentially reduce displacement of agricultural production from farmland as a result of solar development. You learn a lot about the demands of the non-profit industry and are kept stimulated by the challenges of evolving a specific cause with an ever-changing market. The second strategy is to enhance targeted conservation practices on at least 25 percent of additional working lands by 2030. And what happens to farmland, farming practices, and farmers will have global impact. From the natural climate solutions account, two new riparian buffer grant programs have emerged this year, with SCC and the Recreation and Conservation Office each receiving an allocation of $25 million. We mapped three contrasting development scenarios from 2016 to 2040, representing broad policy pathways that the country might take. American Farmland Trust, in partnership with Conservation Science Partners and the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, projected how development and climate change will affect agricultural land under several different future scenarios. Re: Home Base for North Rhine. Support and expand technical assistance programs for farmers and ranchers. urges Congress to direct and empower USDA agenciesincluding the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Rural Development, and research agenciesto provide the guidance, support, and leadership that will enable state and local decision makers to put AFTs full suite of Smart Solar principles into action. No detailed study has been undertaken. No Farms No Food Shoulder Tote. Find Your State Visit American Farmland Trust Get engaged and receive the information you need right in your inbox. Below are our key highlights and successes. Since our founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect over 6.8 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally-sound farming practices on millions of additional acres, and supported thousands of farm families. Please use a new browser like Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Microsoft Edge to improve your experience. Learn more Protect California Agricultural Lands: Farmland is often favored by solar developers, particularly high-quality farmland, because it is flat, sunny, cleared, and near energy infrastructure. For instance, permanent land protection often encourages landowners to consider conservation practices that yield long term benefits. Please use a new browser like Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Microsoft Edge to improve your experience. AFT is staffed by farmers, policy experts, researchers, and scientists, and governed by a board of directors. It directs SCC to convene stakeholders to learn about the challenges and opportunities for urban agriculture. The FIC is authorized by the federal Farmland Protection Policy Act (FPPA), the first federal law to address the loss of productive agricultural land to non-farm development. The program received the U.S. Water Prize in 2015. The FIC is authorized by the federal Farmland Protection Policy Act (FPPA), the first federal law to address the loss of productive agricultural land to non-farm development. We wont have a next generation on the land if we dont keep the land in agriculture. AFT recently sponsored AB 2964 (Committee on Agriculture), a bill which would modernize the California Farmland Conservancy Program (CFCP) by removing barriers to access for farmers and ranchers. Yet the permanent land protection offered through an agricultural conservation easement is only one tool availableand we need more than that to get the job done. Within a year, the entire fund was on its way to protecting 237 acres of farmland in Jefferson, Island, and Klickitat Counties. Regenerative agricultural practices build soil health, sequester atmospheric carbon into the earth, conserve groundwater resources, and increase biodiversity. Explore AFT's Guide to Water Quality, Climate, Social, and Economic Outcomes Estimation Tools: Quantifying Outcomes to Accelerate Farm Conservation Practice Adoption. Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, The Biden Administrations recent "America the Beautiful" report, Opinion: Farmers are essential, but not invincible, Opinion: Solve nutrition insecurity - but not with donuts, Opinion: American Families Plan transfer tax proposal is the real threat to agriculture, Debt limit deal offers wins for both parties on SNAP work rules, Biden, McCarthy reach debt deal that modifies SNAP work rules, New alliance aims to build support for carbon capture, rural economic opportunities, Farm bill writers: Debt deal takes SNAP work rules off the table, House passes bill to increase debt limit, modify SNAP rules, Neil Caskey, National Corn Growers Association, Opinion: Reflecting on all (ag) things Supreme, Agri-Pulse Newsmakers: June 2, 2023: USDAs Jenny Lester Moffitt, NTFs Joel Brandenberger and NCCs Ashley Peterson on HPAI and more. We are again at a precipice. It would also authorize USDA to create a network of research and demonstration sites. [3][4] Norm Berg, former Chief of the Soil Conservation Service (now the Natural Resources Conservation Service), was an AFT senior advisor for 25 years. But even more is at stake than our food supply. 2023 Session Review: Protecting Farmland in Washington. Agriculture offers the most promising solutions in our fight against climate changebut only when we support farming can it fulfill its promise to feed us and heal our planet. In 1985, AFT protected Wolfes Neck Farm with an agricultural conservation easement. [13], AFT promotes farming practices that improve soil health as a way to bring about multiple environmental benefits including carbon sequestration. A transformational Federal Farm Bill was needed. The Farmland Information Center, or FIC, is a clearinghouse for information about farmland protection and stewardship that serves people working to save farmland and ranchland for agriculture. The State Conservation Commission (SCC) requested $4 million to build on this success over the next two years. This criticism has lost some credibility, however, because many studies have been conducted in a wide range of communities nationally. AFT report highlights significant potential of no-till and cover crop practices to increase Grasslands provide grazing for domesticated animals, but also homes for wildlife. A farm is not just a farm, a ranch not just a ranch. Need help? Paving over, fragmenting, or converting our farmland to other uses forever extinguishes that lands ability to support our farmers and ranchers and all they dofrom putting food on Americas tables, to providing a home and travel-ways for wildlife, and to drawing down carbon to fight climate change. The platform also recommends that the Farmland Protection Policy Act be strengthened to better track conversion of agricultural land to solar development and minimize the footprint of federally-funded utility-scale solar projects on our most productive farmland. It is a project of American Farmland Trust (AFT) maintained on behalf of and with support from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). U.S. Yet less than one percent of agricultural land is so protected. Farms Under Threat 2040 Select a state and county from the map to see Projected Conversion of Farmland and Rangeland from 2016-2040 The future of America's farms and ranches is up to all of us. For more agriculture news, go to www.Agri-Pulse.com. Farmland Under Threat of Urbanization: Future Development Scenarios to 2040 - Peer-reviewed Article, Farms Under Threat 2040 Web Mapping Tool and State Summaries, Farms Under Threat 2040: Development Technical Report, Farms Under Threat 2040: Technical Webinar, Farms Under Threat 2040: Climate Modeling Report, Farms Under Threat 2040: Solar Modeling Reports, Register for AFT's Farms Under Threat 2040 State-specific Webinars, Farms Under Threat 2040 Data Request Form, Farms Under Threat: The State of the States Report. AFT released a new, multi-state report on activating and understanding non-operating landowners. The mission of American Farmland Trust is to save the land that sustains us by protecting farmland, promoting sound farming practices and keeping farmers on the land. Get engaged and receive the information you need right in your inbox. Permanent protection is our best hope for stemming this loss. Too many farms are still losing topsoil and discharging nutrients, polluting rivers and contributing to dead zones in coastal waters. No Farms, No Food takes readers inside the political and policy battles that determine the fate of our nations farmland and food system. American Farmland Trust (AFT) is a non-profit organization in the United States with a mission to protect farmland, promote environmentally sound farming practices, and keep farmers on the land. One year ago, highly pathogenic avian influenza was a major concern in the poultry industry; now, detections have dropped considerably, but USDA and the nations producers are maintaining their vigilance. The Farm Bill is up for renewal in 2023. These two strategies interweave in multiple ways. American Farmland Trust (AFT) is a non-profit organization in the United States with a mission to protect farmland, promote environmentally sound farming practices, and keep farmers on the land. We take a holistic approach to farmland and ranchland, protecting it from development, promoting environmentally sound farming practices, and keeping farmers on it. In 2017, AFT became the first United States Climate Alliance Impact Partner in an effort to implement policies and programs that sequester carbon and reduce greenhouse gases on agricultural lands while improving farm resiliency and productivity.[14], In 2020, AFT launched the Farmer Relief Fund, which provided grants of up to $1,000 to small and mid-size direct-market producers with demonstrated need due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since early 2020, Americans have witnessed empty grocery store shelves due to disruptions caused by the pandemic. Please use a new browser like Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Microsoft Edge to improve your experience. In those days, between the private, nonprofit environmental groups and the world of groups representing commercial agriculture, collaboration was largely absent. [22], In August 2020, AFT launched the campaign "Farming Is Our Future". The state has lost about 2,000 farms with cropland since 1992, according to the . Have a question? We mapped three contrasting development scenarios . Back then and to this day, AFT has advocated for policies that bridge the agricultural and environmental gap, leading groups to meet in the middle. In this opinion piece, Northwest Missouri farmer Blake Hurst discusses the recent Supreme Court decisions and their impact on producers around the country. We are celebrating a fully funded Farmland Protection and Land Access (FPLA) program. Farmers were convinced their industry was on the verge of bankruptcy. Talk to us abou Despite playing an increasingly important role in farm decision making, as well as having a strong inclination towards conservation, women remain underrepresented in using USDA and state-based conservation programs that could support their farms viability and conservation success. 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