Crisis brings opportunity. Changes in agriculture can play a key role in reducing climate change. A study conducted by the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) suggests that the food system is responsible for least 30 per cent of the global greenhouse gas emissions.¹ Roots of Change believes that agriculture will reduce greenhouse gas emissions through changes in farming systems now and into the future.

CRAE is made up of a wide range of stakeholders that includes representatives of labor, agriculture and environmental organizations. Roots of Change supports Ag Innovations Network, the group that convenes CRAE, to create a productive dialogue that develops innovative strategies on a variety of issues. Our work related to climate change is primarily funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

Press Release

CONTACT:

Cynthia Cory, California Farm Bureau Federation (916) 446‐4647 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Jonathan Kaplan, Natural Resources Defense Council (415) 875‐6100 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS FIND COMMON GROUND IN CLIMATE POLICY PRINCIPLES

California Roundtable on Agriculture and the Environment Members Pen Principles to Guide Federal Climate Dialogue

SACRAMENTO, CA, July 9 – While efforts to craft federal‐level climate legislation have been met with widely varying reactions, 19 agriculture, labor, and environmental representatives in California have achieved agreement on a set of guiding principles for federal climate policy, in the event that legislation should pass, available at http://aginnovations.org/ .

Members of the California Roundtable on Agriculture and the Environment (CRAE) worked together to develop the principles, which spell out elements of a framework to encourage innovation, environmental protection and gains for farmers. The statement of principles calls for voluntary participation of farmers in a national climate change program, and also proposes roles for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in program development.

The groups are calling on Californian members of the legislature to push for adoption of these principles—if legislation is to move forward—to help agriculture adopt climate‐friendly stewardship practices and adapt to climate change.

According to Cynthia Cory of the California Farm Bureau, “Because California already has a mandatory state policy on greenhouse gas emissions, we believe it’s important that any potential national policy must address the needs and concerns of farmers and ranchers.”

“As Congress debates federal climate policy, it will find that agricultural and environmental leaders in California can work together in crafting an effective approach,” said Jonathan Kaplan of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Both constituencies have an interest in making this work for growers and the environment.”

CRAE is a broad alliance of farm, labor, and environmental organizations, plus advisors from state and federal agriculture and environmental agencies, that has been working since 2004 to build consensus among agriculture and environmental interest on key issues impacting the food system. For a complete list of members, see http://foodsystemalliance.org/crae/category/members/ .

Agriculture Principles for a National Climate Change Program

June 2010

1. Agricultural producers should have the opportunity to voluntarily participate in a national climate change program

a.    Any national climate change mitigation program should recognize the wide range of GHG mitigation and carbon sequestration benefits that agriculture can provide.
b.    A mix of agricultural performance‐based incentives and offsets should be used to lower the overall cost of compliance to the economy and to speed adoption of practices and technologies that lead to GHG reductions.
c.    National climate change adaptation strategies should reflect the important role that agricultural lands and their stewards can play in the adaptation of both nature and people to a changing climate.
d.    Funding for existing USDA conservation programs should be augmented to include climate change mitigation and adaptation activities.

2. Both USDA and EPA should play a role in developing an offsets program for agriculture

a.    USDA is well positioned to participate in the development of technical standards and protocols through its extensive network of scientists and researchers focused on agronomy and soil science.
b.    Rules for all tradable offsets must be consistent in terms of stringency and coverage in order to maintain the integrity of the offsets market and avoid disparate and inconsistent rules and definitions across different offset project types.
c.    A reputable authority (agencies could collaborate on this) is needed to establish the economy‐wide comparability of emissions reductions.

3. A domestic offsets program should encourage innovation in uncapped sectors like agriculture

a.    The goal of any offset program should be to generate high‐quality GHG reductions as quickly as possible. To support this objective, eligible project types should not be limited provided they can meet the environmental integrity criteria, including life cycle analysis of the operation to avoid the unintended consequences of increasing greenhouse gas emissions and fully consider environmental co‐benefits.
b.    Regulations governing the eligibility of different project types should include appropriate safeguards to protect against negative impacts on public health and/or the environment, including the destruction or temporary conversion of native habitats.
c.    Methodologies for measuring and verifying carbon sequestration and GHG mitigation rates must be based on the best available science.
d.    Offsets should be measurable, verifiable and additional above and beyond an established baseline. Standardized and agreed upon protocols for each offset‐ eligible project type should be created to establish the quality of offsets being created and sold, conservatively adjusting for measurement, permanence and other uncertainties.
e.    A federal climate change program should be fully compatible with California’s Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 to avoid double compliance requirements of the regulated sector.

4. National climate change legislation should include provisions to recognize and reward early actions that are determined to be above and beyond an established baseline as defined in the regulatory process

a.    Early adopters of technologies and improved practices above and beyond the established baseline that reduce GHG emissions or enhance carbon sequestration should be rewarded for the additional, measurable and verifiable climate benefits they deliver.

5. Practices generating multiple environmental benefits should not be precluded from qualifying for multiple streams of compensation

a.    Many practices undertaken to sequester carbon and reduce GHG emissions are linked to other environmental benefits, such as reduced soil erosion, improved air and water quality, increased renewable energy production and wildlife habitat. Highest priority should be given to projects and activities that provide multiple environmental benefits.
b.    Opportunities to separately value these benefits should be encouraged. c.    The accounting system must have integrity, seek to avoid double counting of
benefits, and ensure consistency with additionality requirements.

6. Recognizing a domestic food supply as a strategic national asset, provisions should be made for food production systems in the event that carbon mitigation technology is not readily available.

Supporter List:

Agricultural Council of California

American Farmland Trust

California Association of Winegrape Growers

California Farm Bureau Federation

California Federation of Certified Farmers' Markets

Califronia Rice Commission

California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation

Community Alliance with Family Farmers

Environmental Defense Fund

Environmental Working Group

Natural Resources Defense Council

The Nature Conservancy

Roots of Change

Sustainable Conservation

Western United Dairymen

Cornelius Gallagher (Agribusiness Executive, Bank of America Merrill Lynch)

Holly King (King-Gardiner Farms, LLC)

Rich Rominger (Rominger Brothers Farms)

Find Out More:

California Rountable on Agriculture and the Environment

References:

¹International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), Global Report, 2008, http://tinyurl.com/6r82ry