USA
August 12, 2021
Aerial view of Mt. Toby Farm in Sunderland, MA. Photo by Lance Cheung, USDA.
Over the past several years there has been a rapidly increasing focus on agriculture as a climate solution. Three scientific societies are uniquely positioned at the interface of climate, agriculture, and the environment: the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and the Soil Science Society of America. They released a statement, Advancing Resilient Agriculture: Recommendations to Address Climate Change, this week.
“Our recommendations are an important contribution to the ongoing climate policy discussion,” says Director of Government Relations, Karl Anderson. “They highlight the importance of science and data to drive ecosystem services and connect the dots to professional agronomists and extension specialists who ultimately can help producers implement science-based strategies.”
The statement provides recommendations under seven categories:
- agricultural practices,
- data,
- research,
- food system resilience,
- communication and outreach,
- diversity, and
- collaboration.
The document emphasizes that while science provides proven strategies to bring balance and resilience to agricultural ecosystems, there is no single practice, no magic bullet, that applies to every farm. What is needed are collections of practices tailored for each region, climate, soil type, and farming system.
“Agricultural systems are an important tool in addressing climate change,” says Dr. Diane Rowland, one of the members of the ASA, CSSA, SSSA Climate Task Force. “Agricultural lands directly interface with and impact natural systems, both positively and negatively. It’s a continuum. Certainly, natural systems are important, but agricultural systems provide a unique opportunity to purposely manage for enhanced climate mitigation and adaptation,” she says. Rowland is dean of College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture at the University of Maine.
The statement is intended to inform the Societies’ work with policymakers in Congress, the administration, and federal agencies. It will also be a valuable tool when working with partner organizations and agricultural stakeholders who are engaging in climate action.
As a Certified Crop Adviser, Betsy Bower, points out, science will only get us part of the way there. “As this document describes, communication is central,” she says. “Certified Crop Advisers advise farmers and other customers on climate smart crop production practices, so we will need to know what has been learned and what is on the horizon, and we will need to partner with federal partners and non-governmental organizations like The Nature Conservancy and local Soil & Water Conservation Districts to translate research to practice.” Bower was the Certified Crop Adviser representative on the Climate Task Force.
Full statement (https://www.agronomy.org/science-policy/issues/climate-change)
CLIMATE CHANGE
ASA, CSSA, and SSSA members are uniquely positioned at the interface of climate, agriculture, and the environment. By sharing our expertise and experience on these issues with policymakers, our Societies can more effectively influence climate-smart policies.
CLIMATE CHANGE SOLUTIONS STATEMENT
In the spring of 2021, two members of each Society and one Certified Crop Adviser were selected to serve as members of the Societies’ Climate Task Force. The Task Force and Science Policy Office staff worked to develop a climate change position statement that would reflect the Societies’ goals, recognize members’ scientific contributions, and acknowledge the unique perspectives of certified professional advisers.
Approved by all three Society Boards of Directors in July, the Advancing Resilient Agriculture: Recommendations to Address Climate Change position statement is the result of the dedicated work of the Climate Task Force members along with input and review by the ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Science Policy Committees. The statement outlines concrete actions policymakers can take right now to help U.S. agriculture mitigate climate change and adapt to its effects.
The statement provides recommendations under seven categories: agricultural practices, data, research, food system resilience, communication and outreach, diversity, and collaboration. The document emphasizes that while science provides proven strategies to bring balance and resilience to agricultural ecosystems, there is no single practice, no magic bullet, that applies to every farm. What is needed are collections of practices tailored for each region, climate, soil type, and farming system.
While this statement is an important step to make sure ASA, CSSA, and SSSA have a seat at the table in discussing climate-smart policies, it is by no means all encompassing. To facilitate continued dialogue, the Task Force and Science Policy Office would like to encourage all Society members to read the statement and share their reactions on the Grand Challenge Discussion Board thread.
Climate Task Force Members
David Baltensperger (ASA), Texas A&M
Betsy Bower (CCA), Ceres Solutions Cooperative
Jessica Chiartas (SSSA), UC Davis
David Clay (ASA), South Dakota State University
Charlie Messina (CSSA), Corteva
Diane Rowland (CSSA), University of Maine
Ole Wendroth (SSSA), University of Kentucky
CLIMATE CHANGE SURVEY
The Task Force also worked to develop a survey to gauge members’ and CCAs’ professional opinions on the effectiveness of certain agricultural strategies to adapt to and mitigate climate change.
All Society members and CCAs were encouraged to score the effectiveness of 11 climate-smart agricultural strategies, their confidence level in that score, the timeframe necessary for the strategy’s implementation, and whether the strategy helps with adaptation, mitigation, both, or neither.
The survey was completed on May 28, 2021. Nearly 700 Society members, CCAs, and other stakeholders submitted responses to the survey. We are working now to analyze the results of the survey and the final analysis will be shared with members and decision makers later this year.
Survey Team
Sylvie Brouder, Purdue University
Ken Cassman, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Jessica Chiartas, UC Davis
Jeff Volenec, Purdue University
CLIMATE CHANGE LETTERS
ASA, CSSA, and SSSA regularly provide input to policymakers on climate change and the role agriculture, forestry, and natural resources can play in adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change.
ASA, CSSA, and SSSA submit comments to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) request for information (RFI) on USDA’s Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Strategy. [April 29, 2021]
ASA, CSSA, and SSSA submit Outside Witness Testimony to the Senate Agriculture Committee for the hearing, Farmers and Foresters: Opportunities to Lead in Tackling Climate Change. [March 11, 2021]
ASA, CSSA, and SSSA submit Outside Witness Testimony to the House Agriculture Committee for the hearing, Climate Change and the U.S. Agriculture and Forestry Sectors. [March 3, 2021]
ASA, CSSA and SSSA submit comments on the Draft Prospectus of the Fifth National Climate Assessment. [August 6, 2020]
ASA, CSSA, and SSSA join other scientific societies to submit comments to the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. [November 22, 2019]
ASA, CSSA, and SSSA submit comments on agriculture, natural resources, and research to Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. [November 22, 2019]
Topics
Species
