Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is delivering on its promise to expand markets by investing $1 billion in partnerships to support America’s climate-smart farmers, ranchers and forest landowners. The new Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities opportunity will finance pilot projects that create market opportunities for U.S. agricultural and forestry products that use climate-smart practices and include innovative, cost-effective ways to measure and verify greenhouse gas benefits.
USDA is now accepting project applications for fiscal year 2022.
“America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest owners are leading the way in implementing climate-smart solutions across their operations,” said Vilsack. “Through Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, USDA will provide targeted funding to meet national and global demand and expand market opportunities for climate-smart commodities to increase the competitive advantage of American producers. We want a broad array of agriculture and forestry to see themselves in this effort, including small and historically underserved producers as well as early adopters.”
Para efectos de esta oportunidad de financiamiento, un producto básico climáticamente inteligente se define como un insumo agrícola que se produce utilizando prácticas agrícolas (agricultura, ganadería o silvicultura) que reducen las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero o secuestran carbono.
A range of public and private entities may apply, including County, city or township governments, Special district governments, State governments, Small businesses, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), and Nonprofits, Private institutions of higher education, or Public and State-controlled institutions of higher education.
The primary applicant must be an entity, not an individual.