News

Farm Bureau eyes conservation as new farm bill comes into focus

Groups like American Farm Bureau are poised to weigh in as the process of writing a new farm bill begins. 

Farm Bureau vice president of public affairs Sam Kieffer says in order to start farm bill negotiations, the responsibility of Congress is to first assess how current programs are working.

“What we are looking at is to make sure that we continue to focus on market-based and voluntary incentives in the conservation world. There’s a lot of discussion on climate and how agriculture can rightfully play a role and be one of the solutions to climate challenges.”

Speaking to Brownfield Saturday during the American Farm Bureau Convention in Atlanta, he says it’s okay to use the farm bill as a mechanism to do that.

“But we need to make sure that the farm bill’s also focused on production and not setting aside land, making sure that all that is done in the name of climate and carbon sequestration are voluntary and incentive-based.”

Listening sessions are expected to occur throughout the year with the current farm bill expiring in 2023.