Policy Watch

CALIFORNIA

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) awarded $37.65 million in grant funding to 41 methane reduction projects across the state. In total, these projects are estimated to cut annual greenhouse gas emissions in The Golden State by 233,393 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.

These projects are part of the Alternative Manure Management Program aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from manure produced by dairy and livestock farms. Including this latest round of grants, 273 projects have received funding since 2015, and these projects reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 2,555,727 metric tons per year, which the CDFA says is equivalent to removing more than 550,600 cars from the road.

WISCONSIN

The 2023 budget for Dane County, Wisconsin, includes $3 million to study the feasibility of opening a commercial grade, community scale manure processing plant and funding to acquire a site for this potential development.

In a press release, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said that the county had done a lot over the past decade to address the root cause of excessive algae growth in the Yahara Chain of Lakes, but a grander scale solution is needed to reach the county’s phosphorus runoff reduction goals. Dane County — home to Madison, the state’s capital — is still a major player in dairy and other agricultural commodities. This new manure processing plant, in combination with two existing digesters in the county, would treat approximately 400 million gallons of manure each year from about 40,000 cows. DELAWARE

An emergency order approved by members of the Delaware Nutrient Management Commission will allow for a 180-day extension of properly staged poultry litter in state fields. The order took effect on November 1.

This follows last spring’s order by the Delaware Department of Agriculture to restrict the movement and application of poultry litter in two counties to control the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The ability to stage litter in preparation for spring application will help farmers who faced storage limitations while still reducing litter movement when HPAI risk is anticipated to be greatest. Program (ACEP). The Rural Energy for American Program (REAP) will also receive funds to support the generation, storage, and use of renewable energy.

As part of the nutrient management initiative, the USDA will conduct an outreach campaign to highlight the ways nutrient management can contribute to a farm’s bottom line. An estimated 89 million acres of cropland across the country exceed the nitrogen loss threshold, and implementation of nutrient management plans for these acres would result in more efficient use of resources and could save farmers $2.6 billion, along with reducing nutrients that end up in ground and surface waters.

The Biden-Harris Administration made $500 million in grants available through the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program to increase American-made fertilizers. The goal is to spur competition and combat record-high prices. According to the USDA, the grants will be used to support independent, innovative, and sustainable American fertilizer production. The funds will also expand the manufacturing of fertilizer and nutrient alternatives.

UNITED STATES

Included in the Inflation Reduction Act is $40 billion over the next 10 years directed toward existing voluntary programs promoting climate-smart agriculture, rural energy efficiency and reliability, forest conservation, and more. Around half of those dollars will support Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) programs. The remaining funds will support programs that improve land health, water quality, and the economic stability and climate resilience of farming operations.

For agriculture, funds will be used to streamline nutrient management planning, provide technical assistance for conservation programs, and support a program to quantify carbon sequestration and carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions. More specifically, $8.45 billion will be allocated to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP); $4.95 billion for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP); $3.25 billion for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP); and $1.4 billion for the Agricultural Conservation Easement THE NETHERLANDS

The Dutch agriculture minister resigned unexpectedly following a turbulent summer of protests by farmers in opposition to a court ruling that required farms to drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions. The Dutch government allocated an extra $24.2 billion to work toward this goal, but a mid-September deadline to present a plan for the transition away from intensive farming practices was not met by the agriculture minister.

Henk Staghouwer announced his decision in September after holding the position for only nine months, telling reporters that he wasn’t the right person for the job. The position will temporarily be filled by the former agricultural minister, Carola Schouten.