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.

Media Briefing on PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Legislation, January 28, 2021

To read the full statement delivered by Senior Attorney Sharon Treat during the January 28, 2021 Press Conference on Maine PFAS Legislation, please click here. 

The Rural Climate Dialogues

Climate change offers an opportunity to engage differently with rural communities in a way that focuses on solutions rather than assigning blame. Instead of trying to “sell” climate policy to rural communities, we must engage organizations and leaders rooted in rural areas in the development stage to identify solutions that work for them. As important, we need community-level engagement tools designed to overcome our current toxic political environment and map out rural-appropriate responses to climate change that feed up into policy and concrete action.

Agricultural Finance for Climate Resilience

U.S. agricultural financial policy and institutions, both public and private, have not yet adapted to climate change. Instead, Congress responds to more frequent extreme weather events with larger and increasingly frequent ad hoc disaster payments and increasing subsidies for private crop insurance from taxpayer funds. These short-term responses are not sustainable fiscally, economically or environmentally. 

Milking the Planet

Executive Summary

Revisiting Crisis by Design: Corporate concentration in agriculture

The horizontal concentration in nearly all aspects of agricultural production, processing and distribution that began in the 1980s has become entrenched.

Revisiting Crisis by Design: Climate change — crisis by denial?

Climate change is increasingly disrupting farmers, the agriculture economy and rural communities. The growth of industrial agricultural operations and practices are increasing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture.

Revisiting Crisis by Design: The agricultural technology treadmill

Agricultural technology has enabled overproduction of agricultural commodities, which has left farmers dependent on taxpayer funds in most years to compensate for low commodity prices. Technology adoption statistics do not measure the impacts of technologies on rural communities, particularly in developing countries.

Revisiting Crisis by Design: Organic, agroecological and regenerative agriculture

Organic agriculture has grown substantially since its beginnings as an alternative movement, including by more than 50% in the last 15 years.

Revisiting Crisis by Design: Land tenure

Increases in farm debt, bankruptcies and land values have far outstripped farm assets and income, making it increasingly difficult for farmers to hold on to their land. Corporate and investor-owned land has doubled since the 1980s, and the number of farms owned by corporations and investors rose by nearly 10% between 2012 and 2017.