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Resources for Celebrating Earth Day and Climate Justice

Every year, at the end of April, global Earth Day is celebrated—but here at SiX we work with legislators to fight for climate justice and support independent farmers and rural communities in protecting our Earth all year long because Good Agriculture Policy is Good Climate Policy. 

Check out some of the resources below to support you in working alongside rural communities, farmers, advocates, and your colleagues to create a more just, resilient and sustainable food and farming system.

 

 

Good Agriculture Policy is Good Climate Policy: 

Not all agriculture is good for the planet, but regenerative agriculture and forestry practices are climate-friendly, not only sequestering carbon, but building healthy soil that retains water and increases habitat for wildlife and pollinating insects. These methods have been used by Black and Indigenous communities for generations, and they are increasingly being employed more broadly by farmers across the country. As the climate crisis worsens, it is critical that agriculture and farming practices and policies are developed and implemented that prioritize healthy soil, carbon sequestration, water conservation, biodiversity, and sustainable use of our natural resources. 

Policies for a healthy rural environment are critical not just for rural residents but also to protect the natural resources on which everyone depends: clean water and air, healthy soil, and thriving biodiversity are important for all of us, and these start in rural areas. However, rural communities all too often depend on polluting industries, from mining to industrial agriculture, that use chemical inputs or leave toxic outputs that pollute water and air. 

These industries exploit rural communities, particularly communities of color, harm animal welfare by confining thousands of animals in Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOS), squeeze independent farmers and ranchers by reducing competition, undermine democracy through preemption of local control, and harm reproductive health by polluting the air, water, and soil with toxic chemicals and volatile gasses. 

Addressing these harms takes more than just good agriculture policy, it requires policies that prioritize racial justice, increase local control and economic competition, support reproductive justice and freedom, and hold polluting industries accountable. These policies also must be created in partnership with rural communities. Farmers, farmworkers and rural communities are on the frontlines of the climate crisis, making it critical that their experience, knowledge, and practices are part of the solution as well. 

Policies that support farmers in engaging in climate-friendly agriculture practices are only part of the solution. Industrial agriculture and multinational corporations that prioritize profit over people, the environment, animals, and healthy rural communities must be held accountable for the harms caused by pollution and extractive practices.

Policymakers can confront the climate crisis by working with communities to develop policies that prioritize people over corporations while promoting small and mid-sized independent farmers to employ regenerative practices, increase reproductive and gender justice, build democracy, and support animal welfare. Together, we can create a more just, sustainable, and climate-friendly future for all of us.

 

 

Policy Examples: 

In the last few years, policymakers have introduced initiatives that were co-created with farmers and advocates at the state level to support independent farmers and ranchers practicing regenerative agriculture while holding polluting industries accountable. Below are some examples of state policies addressing a few of the key aspects of the climate crisis. 

 

Regenerative Agriculture Policies & Soil Health: 

  • The gold standard of regenerative farming practices is managed grazing (also called intensive rotational grazing), in which ruminants like cattle, sheep, or goats graze on a rotation of perennial grasses. The practice sequesters carbon, builds soil health and moisture absorption, and reduces fuels in fire-prone regions. Pasture-based livestock farms and ranches also offer an array of beneficial environmental services and contribute to the rural economy by providing healthy food for the local community. 
    • The New York’s (2021 NY A 5386) Soil Health and Climate Resiliency Act establishes a program to assist farmers in improving the health of their soil. The bill creates a funding stream to support research and provides matching grants to fund projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, implement water management systems on farmland, and encourage soil health and resiliency. The program is designed to prioritize socially disadvantaged farmers. 
    • Minnesota’s (2021 MN HF 701) soil health bill not only centers race and equity but also sets an ambitious goal that 100 percent of tillable and grazeable acres employ cover crops, perennial crops, no-till, or managed rotational grazing by 2040.
  • Well-managed state forest lands also provide rural communities with economic opportunities and environmental benefits. State policymakers should consider public land forest management that protects mature forests and caps annual timber harvest. Many states have passed legislation similar to the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA), which requires an environmental analysis of activities on state-owned lands. Any state-level environmental protection act should ensure robust public comment, environmental analysis, and assessment of the impact on Indigenous communities and the climate. Policy to actively manage the wild/urban interface through prescribed fire, small-diameter thinning, and managed grazing can help to reduce fuels and protect communities from catastrophic wildfire. 

 

Water and Climate Resiliency Policies: 

Policymakers are increasingly looking at the ways water, climate, conservation, carbon sequestration, economics and land and water resource management intersect in policy to create greater climate resiliency and disaster preparedness. There are many different types of policy that can address this intersection with a few types and examples outlined below.  This dashboard from the Center for New Energy and Economy shows opportunities in state policy for climate resiliency and clean energy by state. 

    • Coastal Conservation: This could look like restoration, preservation, or conservation of coastal lands and waters or mitigation of coastal pressures. 
      • Example policy: Virginia S.B.1374 (2021): Establishes an intergovernmental taskforce to study and submit a report on how to use state land and marine resources for carbon sequestration.
    • 30×30 Policies: 30×30 is a movement taken up by countries and states with the goal of conserving 30% of land and water by 2030 through a variety of methods. 
      • Example Policy: Hawaii HB 1019 – (Enacted, 2021) Establishes a fund to help implement Hawaii’s 30×30 marine management goals.
    • Incentivizing a Blue Economy: Blue economy is defined as the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth. 
      • Example Policies:
        • MA HD 4379 would establish a “Blue Communities Program” that (1) incentivizes local action on nutrient pollution and ocean acidification; (2) sets guidelines for communities to qualify as a “Blue Community;” and (3) establishes a fund for the Program. 
        • RI SB 35 establishes the Ocean State Climate Adaptation and Resilience (OSCAR) fund as a long-term source of grant funding to allow coastal cities and towns to implement climate resilience projects.

 

PFAS and Chemical Policies: 

  • Policymakers are looking to address the widespread human health and soil impacts from PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) chemicals which are included in a wide range of products, from takeout containers to firefighting foam. Due to its widespread use, PFAS is regularly found in drinking water and soil. Mounting research links PFAS exposure to multiple cancers, reproductive damage, endocrine disruption, and impaired fetal development. The substances are known as “forever chemicals,” as they take thousands of years to break down. Remediation is timely and costly. Farmers who find PFAS contamination in their soil often lack the resources and support for remediation, leaving them with no option but to leave the land fallow, costing them the profit of the crop they otherwise would have planted.
  • Protecting pollinators by incentivizing pollinator habitat and banning dangerous petro-chemical pesticides and insecticides such as neonicotinoids and chlorpyrifos (including in seed treatments) is important to encourage biodiversity, protect the soil and the health of young children. 
    • New York became the first state in the country to pass legislation (Senate Bill S1856A) banning the sale of neonicotinoid coated or “neonic” coated seeds
    • In Nebraska (NE 2021 LB507) policymakers considered a bill to prohibit neonicotinoid-treated seeds in ethanol production.
    • Four states have restricted the use of chlorpyrifos, with Maryland (2020 MD 300) being the most recent. In 2018, Hawaii (2018 HI SB 3095) was the first state to prohibit the use of chlorpyrifos.

Corporate Agribusiness Accountability Policies: 

    • In many states, legislators with ties to agribusiness have passed laws to favor CAFO development and have dismantled provisions that give communities a voice in CAFO siting or that protect public health. Lawmakers can push for stricter environmental protections to regulate air and water pollution from large-scale livestock operations; require setback distances from homes, schools, businesses. and roads; ensure that manure is responsibly managed; and increase public participation in CAFO permitting and siting. This resource looks at additional ways the harm from CAFOs can be addressed in state policy. 
      • Oregon (2021 OR SB 583), Iowa (2021 IA HF 440), Maryland (2020 MD HB 1312), Rhode Island (2021 RI SB 469), and Ohio (2021 OH HB 349) have considered legislation to pause the construction of new and expanding CAFOs until better laws are in place.
      • Oregon was the first state in decades to pass meaningful CAFO permitting reform legislation in 2023 through the efforts of rural communities in collaboration with legislators. You can read more about OR SB 85 here. 
      • New Jersey (2021 NJ SB 3041) is considering a bill to ban gestation and veal crates and name restricting movement or providing inadequate space to farm animals a criminal offense.
      • Nevada (2021 NV AB399) passed a bill banning the sale of eggs from hens raised in battery cages and required all eggs sold in the state to be from cage-free facilities.
    • Manure-to-energy projects such as Biogas or Factory Farm Gas are rarely economically feasible without public subsidies, particularly when construction and operation costs are taken into account. Additionally, they require an enormous volume of manure in order to operate. While manure-based biogas is touted as being environmentally sustainable, its development actually relies on CAFO expansion – which is definitely not sustainable. In fact, manure-to-energy projects are generally a way for CAFOs to externalize costs of productions onto the public. Further, since they are not renewable energy sources, they should not be included in state renewable energy portfolios or receive tax credits. State officials should work to strike any existing manure-to-energy components of a state renewable energy portfolio.
      • Iowa lawmakers considered a bill (2019 IA HF 186) to remove CAFO manure pits from a property tax exemption.
      • In Missouri, as a result of participation by pasture-based producers and advocates, the NRCS state technical committee implemented a rule that no new or expanding CAFOs in Missouri are eligible for EQIP dollars,[5] which has reduced EQIP funds going to livestock waste management from 35 percent to 15 percent in recent years.
      • New York (2019 NY S 6599) recently passed a bill that would prohibit waste-to-energy projects to be included in its future renewable energy platform.
      • In 2021, Oregon allowed the expiration of a tax credit for manure, which was intended to promote manure-to-energy projects.
    • Hydraulic fracturing or “fracking,” is an industrial practice to access underground oil and gas reserves. Facking is a direct threat to farmland, groundwater and drinking wells. Banning fracking or classifying it’s waste as hazardous is an important step in addressing the exploitation and harms to rural communities from this industry. 
      • States including Maryland (2017 MD HB 1325), New York (NY 2019 S 6906). and Vermont have banned hydraulic fracturing. New York (NY 2019 S 3392) closed the fracking waste loophole by classifying it as hazardous waste.

Plastic Policies:

  • Plastic waste is an increasingly catastrophic problem in our environment. Microplastics have been found in our food, water, soil, blood, and are considered to be leading contributors to the increase in devastating diseases including parkinson’s and cancer. Reducing plastics through bans and holding corporate polluters accountable is critical to addressing this looming public health and environmental crisis. 
    • New York is considering one of the most stringent plastic reduction acts: Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act that would reduce single-use packaging by 50% over 12 years, make polluters responsible for their packaging waste, get 15 of the most toxic chemicals out of packaging along with reducing climate emissions  
    • There are several other types of plastic policies that can be implemented at the state level including bans on plastic products and “producer pay” policies. Learn more from our partner, Beyond Plastics.  

Composting and Food Waste Policies: 

  • The U.S. wastes a staggering 133 billion pounds of food every year, accounting for 40 percent of all food produced in the country, at an annual cost of $161 billion. Wasted food squanders the natural resources, energy, and labor that produced, processed, and distributed it, and generates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, since most food waste is sent to landfills, where it releases methane. U.S. food waste causes 4 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, 14 percent of all freshwater use, 18 percent of all cropland use, and 24 percent of all landfill inputs.[2] At the same time, one in six Americans struggle with food insecurity. Policies that prevent food waste at all points in the supply chain (i.e., farms, food processors, grocery retailers, restaurants, foodservice providers, and consumers); recover edible food and facilitate it’s donation; and recycle food using techniques like composting or conversion of food waste to animal feed rather than sending food to landfills are the most effective policies to address food waste and decrease greenhouse gas emissions from food waste. 
    • Vermont ( Stat. Ann. tit. 10, § 6605k) prohibits food waste from being sent to a landfill, including consumer-generated waste. California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island also have organic waste bans or recycling laws.
    • California (2021 CA SB 1383) requires that certain food businesses donate surplus food.
    • Minnesota ( Stat. Ann. § 604A.10) law extends liability protections to direct donations. Liability protections in Massachusetts (Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. Ch. 94, § 328) include the donation of open-dated food whose date has passed.
    • Arizona ( Rev. Stat. Ann. § 42-5074) provides a tax incentive for food donation that applies to restaurants and farms.
  • From our partners at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance: Composting and Health Soils Policy Guide: Composting provides unique opportunities to facilitate circular and holistic food systems by linking food waste diversion efforts to regenerative soil practices, and urban centers to areas of food production. However, policy is needed to encourage and invest in the production of high-quality compost and its application to land to maximize the benefits to soils, farms, and climate. Learn more about the different ways state level composting policy can help build healthy soils. 

 

 

Communication Resources: 

Effectively communicating about the climate crisis is critical to achieving real solutions for our communities. Greenwashing by corporations, climate denial and disaster scapegoating are all too common in today’s rhetoric. Centering impacted communities and communicating through shared values is critical to your work as state legislators. Below are some communication resources to support you in uplifting and centering the experiences of impacted communities and pushing back against dangerous climate denial and greenwashing rhetoric. 

 

 

Further Resources

For further exploration or to get additional ideas on how to work on regenerative ag, climate, and soil health topics check out some of the further resources below. If you have a resource, policy, or tool that you would like to share with other state legislators, please reach out to Emma Newton at [email protected] 

  • For Legislators Looking for Peer-to-Peer Support: Join the SiX CROP Regenerative Agriculture and Soil Health Working Group. Connect periodically with other CROP members in a confidential and supportive space to swap ideas, brainstorm, and troubleshoot your work on Regenerative Ag and Soil Health issues. Learn more and sign up here. 
  • For Legislators Looking for Data: Visit the CROP Resource Database for a wide variety of reports, webinars, and videos (password: SiXAg!) 
  • For Legislators Looking for Further Reading:  Here are some articles, blogs, and videos on regenerative agriculture practices, climate disaster and rural life, and policy.