When Congress writes the 2018 farm bill, lawmakers should retain the requirement for producers to practice land stewardship if they want coverage under the federally subsidized crop insurance system, said the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. In an essay in The Hill newspaper, NSAC policy specialist Alyssa Charney also called for stronger enforcement of the so-called conservation compliance rules.
“There are still many obstacles to overcome to ensure that we have risk management strategies that complement — rather than contradict — farmers’ efforts at building soil health,” wrote Charney. During an interview, she proposed more comprehensive checking to see if producers are controlling erosion and nutrient runoff. At present, the USDA calls for 5 percent of conservation plans to be checked annually nationwide. It should be 5 percent annually in each state, said Charney. In The Hill, she said the farm bill “should enhance the long-term funding base” for two USDA programs for working lands: the Conservation Stewardship Program, a “green payment” program for farmers who incorporate stewardship into daily operations, and the Environmental Quality Incentive Program, which shares the cost of projects to control erosion and runoff.
The NSAC is among the conservation groups assembling a joint statement on goals for conservation programs in the 2018 farm bill.
Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer announced that he had filed a bill to expand the conservation compliance provision and to give the USDA more authority to review stewardship plans. Ken Cook of the Environmental Working Group said, “Expanding the conservation compact to include all cropland, as Congressman Blumenauer’s bill seeks to do, could be the single most effective way in the next farm bill to meaningfully cut farm pollution runoff, and protect drinking water, soil, and clean air.”