STATEMENT: Senators Introduce Bill to Advance Soil Carbon Measurement…
STATEMENT: Senators Introduce Bill to… Breakthrough Institute
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Advancing Research on Agricultural Climate Impacts Act Introduced in Congress
Introduction
Last week, Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Todd Young (R-IN) introduced the bipartisan Advancing Research on Agricultural Climate Impacts Act. This legislation aims to address the impact of climate change on agriculture by enabling the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop consistent, science-based, and standardized soil carbon measurement methodologies.
Objectives
The Advancing Research on Agricultural Climate Impacts Act directs the USDA to leverage existing programs, such as the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, Agriculture Research Service, and Natural Resources Conservation Service, to develop new tools for measuring, monitoring, reporting, and verifying (MMRV) greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration activities. The legislation also emphasizes the analysis of changes in these measures over time and across agricultural lands.
Support for Producers
In addition to developing new measurement tools, the legislation supports on-farm demonstration projects through the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program and Conservation Innovation Grant On-Farm Trials. This support ensures that management systems and tools for greenhouse gas emission and carbon sequestration MMRV are cost-effective for producers.
Addressing Soil Carbon Sequestration Limits
The Advancing Research on Agricultural Climate Impacts Act acknowledges the limits of soil carbon sequestration and calls for improved tools, technologies, practices, and modeling. By investing in these areas, the legislation aims to overcome the challenges associated with soil carbon sequestration.
Statement from the Breakthrough Institute
Dan Blaustein-Rejto, Director of Food & Agriculture for the Breakthrough Institute, commended Senators Smith and Young for their leadership in advancing federal research on soil carbon dynamics. He highlighted the importance of developing new tools and predictive models to measure, monitor, report, and verify soil carbon. Blaustein-Rejto emphasized that these advancements will enable USDA and the private sector to allocate funds more effectively for climate mitigation. He also emphasized the need for additional investments in large-scale data analysis and on-farm demonstration trials to provide U.S. producers with valuable insights for optimizing regionally-relevant practices that sequester carbon, improve soil health, and enhance agricultural productivity.
Call to Action
Breakthrough Institute is pleased to see bipartisan support for this legislation and urges members of Congress in both the House of Representatives and the Senate to include these policies in the 2023 Farm Bill.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
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SDG 13: Climate Action
- Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning
- Indicator 13.2.1: Number of countries that have integrated climate change into their national policies, strategies, and planning
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SDG 15: Life on Land
- Target 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land, and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought, and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world
- Indicator 15.3.1: Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area
Analysis
The article discusses the bipartisan Advancing Research on Agricultural Climate Impacts Act, which aims to develop consistent, science-based, and standardized soil carbon measurement methodologies. This legislation is directly connected to SDG 13: Climate Action, as it focuses on addressing climate change impacts in the agricultural sector.
Specifically, the legislation aims to integrate climate change measures into national policies and strategies related to agriculture. This aligns with Target 13.2 of SDG 13, which calls for the integration of climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.
The article also mentions the need to combat desertification and restore degraded land and soil. This aligns with SDG 15: Life on Land, which focuses on protecting, restoring, and promoting sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems. The legislation aims to develop tools and models to measure, monitor, report, and verify soil carbon, which can contribute to combating land degradation and achieving a land degradation-neutral world.
Based on the article, the following indicators can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:
- Indicator 13.2.1: Number of countries that have integrated climate change into their national policies, strategies, and planning
- Indicator 15.3.1: Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 13: Climate Action | Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning | Indicator 13.2.1: Number of countries that have integrated climate change into their national policies, strategies, and planning |
| SDG 15: Life on Land | Target 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought, and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world | Indicator 15.3.1: Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area |
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Source: thebreakthrough.org
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