Farm Bill | IATP

Closed out: How U.S. farmers are denied access to conservation programs

According to data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), between 2010 and 2020, just 31% of farmers who applied to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and only 42% of farmers who applied to the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) were awarded contracts. Overall, EQIP turned down 946,459 contracts and CSP denied 146,425 contracts, at least partially for lack of funds.

New territory: USDA puts spotlight on food supply chain resilience

An under-the-radar executive order signed by the Biden administration in late February could have big implications for our food system.

After Trump’s payouts are gone, what happens to farmers?

A farm economy awash in an unprecedented infusion of public dollars directed by the Trump administration could face a reckoning soon. Close to $40 billion in agriculture-related payments this year mask structural problems in a badly broken market that doesn’t pay most farmers enough to continue farming.

New rules weaken protections for rural communities and the climate

One of the nation’s bedrock environmental protections is the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and it’s particularly critical for rural communities.

Letter to the Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis

The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) thanks the Committee for seeking input on the climate crisis, the most critical challenge of our time. IATP is a 34-year-old non-profit 501(c)3 organization based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. IATP works to ensure fair and sustainable food, farm and trade systems.

Keeping conservation dollars climate-friendly

The Farm Bill’s conservation title includes a suite of programs that pay farmers for implementing conservation projects on their land. These programs are beneficial for numerous reasons: they encourage practices that sequester carbon, clean up the water, create wildlife habitat and make farms more resilient to extreme weather.

Comment on the Environmental Quality Incentives Program Interim Final Rule

To download a PDF version of the comments, click here.  Matt Lohr Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service U.S. Department of Agriculture Washington, DC 20250 

House needs to go big to address climate crisis

The visceral threats of the climate crisis, experienced through recent Midwest floods and California’s wildfi

USDA wants (again) to cut food assistance

On September 23, IATP submitted a comment to the U.S.

Proposed Rule: Revision of Categorical Eligibility in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP)[i] appreciates this opportunity to comment on the Proposed Rule. FNS decided not to issue an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) to request comments and research to inform the drafting of this major rule.