ELCA Advocacy Action Alert: Advocate for Conservation and Climate-Friendly Farm Bill Measures
Our action can advance sustainable agriculture and climate resilience!
As discussions on the Farm Bill continue, it's crucial that we advocate for conservation measures that align with our commitment to caring for creation and addressing the climate crisis. There are several key priorities the ELCA is calling for in the next Farm Bill. As our faith calls us to be stewards of the earth, and the upcoming Bill presents a critical opportunity to advance policies that promote sustainable agriculture and climate resilience: our voices from the faith community have impact.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that more than 10% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to crop cultivation and animal husbandry. Conservation programs in the Farm Bill are widely popular and underfunded. We urge you to join us in advocating for specific measures in the Farm Bill that could further support climate change mitigation strategies in a vital industry for people and land, alike.
We are advocating that the next Farm Bill includes several key priorities. These include:
Increased funding for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), and Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) and ensure that these programs are incentivizing climate-friendly agriculture practices.
Protects the additional $20 billion in funding allocated, specifically, for climate-friendly agriculture within the aforementioned conservation programs through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
Reduces food waste by promoting and coordinating food recovery and donation at the farm level.
The ELCA has a long history of supporting the work of farmers as they not only feed us but steward our lands for future generations. We hope to continue this effort to lift up the climate-smart practices, such as sustainable agriculture, agroforestry, silvopasture, managed grazing, etc., that many farmers are already doing. As mentioned in the ELCA’s social statement Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice, “Sufficiency charges us to work with each other and the environment to meet needs without causing undue burdens elsewhere" (p. 7). We can proudly say that many of us who are farmers are adopting sustainable practices and therefore embodying the value of “justice through sufficiency” (p. 7), but many of us need help to do it. By incentivizing sustainable and climate-smart agriculture practices, we can care for the arable land and honor the people responsible for feeding us.
Your voice is essential in ensuring that these crucial measures are included in the Farm Bill. Together, let's urge Congress to pass a Farm Bill that promotes conservation, addresses the climate crisis, and supports the well-being of both people and the planet.
Click below to share your customized message with Congress, using the ELCA Action Center.
