Conservation Issues Are Central to the Ongoing Farm Bill Debate

The Importance of the Farm Bill and Its Connection to Sustainable Development Goals

The 2018 farm bill, the nation’s most significant recurring agricultural legislation, expired on Sept. 30, 2023, after delays and a failure to release a new draft in both chambers of Congress. The omnibus, multiyear law, formally known as the Agriculture Improvement Act, governs a variety of agricultural and nutrition programs. It is generally considered “must pass” legislation.

While most farm bill programs have funding through the end of the calendar year, others have lapsed, such as the National Organic Certification Cost Share Program. Significant ramifications are expected if Congress fails to pass either a new farm bill or an extension of the 2018 legislation by Dec. 31, including the reversion of farm commodity programs to 1938 and 1949 permanent law. This could lead to a dramatic increase in prices for commodities such as corn and milk, and a total loss of support for other important commodities, including soybeans and sugar. (Find more information about the current farm bill in NCSL’s Field to Table: A Farm Bill Primer.)

Title II: Agricultural Conservation

The law contains 12 titles, or sections, and as Congress develops its next iteration, Title II, covering agricultural conservation, will be an important focus. In the 2018 version, Title II authorized 13 voluntary conservation programs and provided about $60 billion—or 7% of the total farm bill budget—in program funding over five years. The conservation programs receive new mandated funding in each iteration, which removes them from the congressional appropriations process. The programs aim to help farmers and ranchers implement and improve conservation practices, which in turn help support the health and sustainability of the agriculture sector.

The Department of Agriculture administers the programs through the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Farm Service Agency. The agencies help farmers and ranchers achieve conservation objectives by addressing multiple natural resources concerns.

The Core Conservation Programs

• The Conservation Reserve Program, or CRP, is the nation’s largest land retirement program and focuses on the retirement of agricultural land for conservation purposes. The program’s statutory authority to authorize new contracts ended when the 2018 law expired.
• The Environmental Quality Incentives Program, or EQIP, provides financial and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers to address natural resources problems through conservation practices.
• The Conservation Stewardship Program, or CSP, provides financial and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers both to maintain and improve existing conservation practices and to implement new ones.

The importance of the three programs is underscored by their size and the additional funding they receive through other legislation. In 2023, CRP and EQIP cost $2 billion each and CSP cost $1 billion. In 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act extended the program authorities through 2031 and mandated about $17 billion in additional funding through 2026 for CSP, the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program to address climate change-related conservation practices.

The 2022 act also provided an additional $1 billion to supplement the programs’ conservation technical assistance support. The popularity of these programs has shifted in recent years, with the number of CRP applications declining, while demand for the EQIP and CSP programs outpaces capacity.

Market-Based Financial Assistance

The financial assistance provided through these programs is market-based and specifically designed to avoid disrupting the productivity of the local agriculture sector. Tailored, research-based technical assistance programs emphasize locally adaptable practices and allow farmers and ranchers to target their response to natural resources and land management concerns.

Other Voluntary Conservation Programs

The farm bill’s other voluntary conservation programs include conservation compliance, easement, land retirement, partnerships and grants, and working lands programs.

Future of Voluntary Conservation Programs

As Congress develops a new Farm Bill, it remains unclear how it might change the voluntary conservation programs. However, several topics are likely to be at the forefront of the debate, including:

• Adjustments to mandatory program funding.
• Continued emphasis on conservation practices that mitigate extreme weather.
• Expansion of technical assistance.
• Programmatic reforms.
• Continuation of conservation compliance mandates.
• Efforts to increase the participation of underrepresented communities.

NCSL’s Commitment to Sustainable Development Goals

NCSL is committed to furthering the priorities of states, farmers, ranchers, and foresters by promoting increased state-federal communication and coordination. NCSL will advocate for the continuation of programs that benefit these important stakeholders in the agricultural sector.

Megan Bland is a legislative specialist in NCSL’s State-Federal Affairs Division.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 15: Life on Land

The article discusses the expiration of the farm bill and the potential consequences for agricultural programs. These issues are connected to SDG 2, which aims to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. The article also mentions the conservation programs included in the farm bill, which are related to SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production) and SDG 15 (life on land). Additionally, the mention of addressing climate change-related conservation practices connects to SDG 13 (climate action).

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding, and other disasters, and that progressively improve land and soil quality.
• SDG 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.
• SDG 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning.
• SDG 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains, and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements.

The targets identified are aligned with the specific SDGs mentioned above. The article highlights the importance of implementing resilient agricultural practices to increase productivity and production while maintaining ecosystems, which relates to SDG 2.4. The emphasis on conservation programs and the sustainable management of natural resources aligns with SDG 12.2 and SDG 15.1. Additionally, the mention of addressing climate change-related conservation practices connects to SDG 13.3.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for SDG 2.4: Adoption of sustainable agricultural practices, such as conservation farming techniques and agroforestry.
• Indicator for SDG 12.2: Resource efficiency measures implemented in agriculture, such as water and energy use per unit of production.
• Indicator for SDG 13.3: Number of farmers and ranchers receiving education and technical assistance on climate change mitigation and adaptation.
• Indicator for SDG 15.1: Extent of land under conservation programs and restoration initiatives.

The article implies indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets. For SDG 2.4, the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices can be measured, such as the number of farmers implementing conservation farming techniques or agroforestry. For SDG 12.2, resource efficiency measures in agriculture, such as water and energy use per unit of production, can be monitored. SDG 13.3 can be measured by tracking the number of farmers and ranchers receiving education and technical assistance on climate change mitigation and adaptation. Lastly, for SDG 15.1, the extent of land under conservation programs and restoration initiatives can be assessed to measure progress.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: ncsl.org

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