Earthjustice Commends Senator Stabenow’s Farm Bill, Calls for Bipartisan Support

By Better Today On May 1, 2024

TL/DR –

U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow has released a summary of the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act, which renews the Farm Bill. The bill maintains popular conservation programs and climate guardrails, boosts support for research programs like Climate Hubs, and expands grant opportunities for historically underserved farmers. It also emphasizes the role of science and community input in decision-making for national forests, promotes urban forestry and tribal partnerships, and includes provisions to help farmers tackle the impacts of extreme weather and reduce their emissions.

U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Proposes Updated Farm Bill

The Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act, a reauthorization of the Farm Bill, was announced by U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow. This bill maintains the widely supported conservation programs and climate guardrails from the Inflation Reduction Act, boosts support for research programs like Climate Hubs, and widens grant opportunities for underprivileged farmers via the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovation Production. It also emphasizes the crucial role of science and community engagement in managing our national forests, while promoting urban forestry and tribal partnerships.

Earthjustice Legislative Director of the Healthy Communities Program, Ranjani Prabhakar, responded to the bill’s release with the following statement:

“This bill, including more than 100 bipartisan priorities, marks progress towards climate, clean water, and biodiversity. It illustrates Senator Stabenow’s commitment to our nation’s farmers and her appreciation for science-driven, sustainable, and equitable agricultural solutions.

“We commend Senator Stabenow for stressing the significance of fundamental environmental laws and community involvement in managing our national forests. In addition, she acknowledges agricultural sector’s potential in mitigating climate crisis impacts. With the full inclusion of climate stipulations from the Inflation Reduction Act, farmers will have more resources to confront the effects of climate-related issues such as extreme weather and drought. This also supports conservation practices that are both economically beneficial and emissions-reductive.

“A partisan process would be harmful to the farmers and families relying on Farm Bill funding. We need to consider measures to help agriculture reduce its emissions for our planet’s future. Senator Stabenow’s calls for bipartisan collaboration are much-needed, and the Senate should expedite the advancement of a Farm Bill that tackles today’s challenges.”