Conservation

Environmental Quality Incentives Program funds expensive industrial agriculture practices, turns aspiring conservationists away

MINNEAPOLIS—A new report from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) finds that an outsized share of the funding for the conservation program Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) financed expensive practices with little or no conservation benefits, while two-thirds of farmer applicants were rejected from the program

Costly versus cost-effective

This report takes a close look at the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), a farmer-focused conservation cost-share program. In the report, we examine the agricultural practices that EQIP helps farmers finance, how much funding went toward these practices in Fiscal Year 2023, including additional funding through the Inflation Reduction Act.

NSAC Comments on the Fiscal Year 25 CSAF List

The following comment was sent to Deputy Chief, Science and Technology Noller Herbert and National Climate Coordinator Dana Ashford-Kornburger of the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture on March 15, 2024.  Deputy Chief Herbert and Coordinator Ashford-Kornburger,

First steps toward an agroecological transition in U.S. agricultural policy

This article is part of a series highlighting work around the world to build agroecological practices, science and movements. Agroecology has emerged as a set of practices based on principles that guide how to produce food sustainably, as well as how to manage the social relationships that govern food production, p

IRA expanded access to leading conservation programs, demand still not met

MINNEAPOLIS—A new report from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) examines the effectiveness of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in enhancing access to key federal conservation programs in Fiscal Year 2023.

Opening the door for more conservation

As Congress drafts the next Farm Bill, it is important to understand the successes of two leading conservation programs and the opportunities for improvement so that as many farmers as possible can improve their land and their livelihoods.

[Watch] What’s next for the Farm Bill?

Watch the recording of our webinar, What’s next for the Farm Bill? Tracking what the next Farm Bill will mean for Minnesota.

What is the Conservation Title of the Farm Bill?

From conserving vast prairie and wetland reserves to helping urban farmers get access to hoop houses, the Conservation Title of the Farm Bill has many implications for Minnesotans, whether they live on a farm or not.

Reckless shutdown poses threats to farmers and the food system

MINNEAPOLIS—If Congress does not pass a spending bill and the United States federal government shuts down this Sunday, the shutdown will have wide ranging implications for U.S farmers and people facing hunger, as well as slow action to restore fairness in agriculture markets and combat the climate crisis.

NSAC Comments on CSAF Activity List

The following comment was sent to the Natural Resources Conservation Service on August 22, 2023. The memo was prepared by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition with Michael Happ from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. 