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Funding for conservation in the ’23 Farm Bill uncertain

A state farm bureau organization says USDA’s investments in climate-smart practices could reshape the conservation title in the next farm bill.

 Jordan Dux, senior director of national affairs with Nebraska Farm Bureau says lawmakers may not authorize additional funding for Title II. “I think we’re going to see the same pot of money, frankly. It’s going to be the same Inflation Reduction Act money.  The $20 million has not been spent.”

He tells Brownfield the process will be complex and could impact negotiations. “It’s $20 billion.  It’s not a little amount of money.  How do you work that? Is some of that spending repurposed in other ways outside of Title II? I don’t know if that would be the case.”

And, Dux says, any investments in climate smart agriculture should not be tied with crop insurance.