Former Vice President Al Gore, Founder of The Climate Reality Project: “The effects of the climate crisis on farmland have never been clearer as extreme weather events grow more frequent and severe. Resilience must be at the heart of any new agricultural policy. Achieving net-zero emissions in the US agriculture system by 2040 demands innovation across all sectors—and this legislation shows how policy can deliver broad, shared benefits. Representative Pingree and Senator Heinrich’s Agriculture Resilience Act rightly centers farm viability around the long-term stability of our food systems while addressing the climate crisis head on. This bill would allow American farmers to not only invest in themselves and their businesses but do so using the regenerative practices that work for them rather than continuing down a costly, one-size-fits-all path of diminishing returns.”
Organic Farmers Association: “The Organic Farmers Association represents U.S. certified organic farmers. Our members have been documenting climate changes on their farms for decades and in the past few years, severe weather events have been a more forceful reminder that the climate is changing. We need to not only reduce the major sources of carbon emissions into the atmosphere, but also implement policies that encourage practices that sequester carbon and support healthy soil. Representative Pingree’s Agriculture Resilience Act is a long overdue roadmap for how to make agriculture part of the solution to climate change. OFA is proud to support this bill.”
Tim Fink, Policy Director, American Farmland Trust: "We applaud Rep. Pingree and Senator Heinrich and the many cosponsors for reintroducing the Agriculture Resilience Act. The legislation rightfully takes an all-hands-on-deck approach, bringing to bear many facets of agriculture in addressing climate change and building food system resilience, including expanding farmland protection, supporting soil health initiatives, and funding farm viability efforts like agrivoltaics research and business technical assistance. We look forward to working with the House and Senate Agriculture Committees, and other stakeholders, in advancing policies that include our nation's producers as part of the solution."
Renata Brillinger, California Climate and Agriculture Network: “Agriculture has so much to offer—and much at stake—when it comes to turning our farms into carbon sinks and making our food system more secure. The Agriculture Resilience Act will provide the resources needed to turn agricultural solutions to climate change into wins for farmers, our health and the environment.”
Roland McReynolds, Executive Director, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association: "Carolina Farm Stewardship Association supports the Agriculture Resilience Act and advocates for its full inclusion in the 2023 Farm Bill. ARA has the potential to create a more resilient and sustainable food system that benefits both farmers and the environment by prioritizing funding for programs that support climate-smart agriculture and equity."
Coastal Enterprises, Inc.: “Coastal Enterprises, Inc., applauds Congresswoman Chellie Pingree on the release of her bill, the Agriculture Resilience Act. This bill takes an approach to climate change mitigation and agricultural sustainability that is solutions-focused, science-based, and that engages agricultural producers at the community level. We support her bottom-up solutions that incentivize best practices. The bill’s comprehensive scope encompasses many areas that can make a real difference, from soil health to food waste to production and processing. We wholeheartedly support this bill; we believe it will go a long way toward shifting the current agriculture paradigm and will support farmers to integrate better practices while increasing their financial sustainability.”
Keely Cervantes, Policy & Organizing Manager, Community Alliance with Family Farmers: “Nearly 20 years ago, Community Alliance with Family Farmers stood out as the only agricultural organization in California to support the state’s groundbreaking climate change bill. Today, the Agricultural Resilience Act builds on that legacy by emphasizing the importance of farmer-led, climate-smart farming solutions and continued investment in the future of America’s farm economy.”
Peter Lehner, Managing Attorney for Sustainable Food & Farming, Earthjustice and co-author: Farming for Our Future; the Science, Law, and Policy of Climate-Neutral Agriculture: "When carbon is in soil, the soil is healthier and more fertile and resilient. When too much carbon is in the air, it leads to harmful climate change. The Agriculture Resilience Act will help farmers and ranchers keep carbon where it should be by accelerating adoption of proven, profitable agroecological practices. We applaud Representative Pingree and Senator Heinrich for introducing the ARA, which provides many of the necessary policy boosts to ensure that agriculture can become part of the climate change solution. This is a bill every legislator should support."
Environmental Working Group: No one understands the impacts of the climate crisis better than American farmers, who are already reeling from the effects of extreme weather events. It is high time that Washington start treating the climate crisis like what it is – a crisis. EWG applauds Rep. Pingree for putting forward a bold, visionary plan for cutting greenhouse gas emissions from the farm sector in half before 2030 and setting a goal to be net-zero by 2040. All sectors of the economy will need to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, especially energy companies. But farmers are uniquely positioned to reduce emissions and conserve carbon right away. With the right practices in place, we could capture and store more carbon in the ground, reduce emissions from fertilizer application and manure management, make farms more resilient to the effects of climate change and help protect our drinking water supplies.
Farm Aid: “The Agricultural Resilience Act invests in the great potential of family farmers to address our climate crisis. Farm Aid has long maintained that while farmers and ranchers are on the frontlines of climate change, they are also best-positioned to lead our country with solutions and innovations that improve soil health, sequester carbon, enhance biodiversity and much more. We look forward to working with Representative Pingree on passing the Agricultural Resilience Act."
Pesticide Action and Agroecology Network: “The Pesticide Action & Agroecology Network (PAN), enthusiastically endorses the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA). We work at the federal level, as well as in California, Minnesota, Iowa and Hawai'i, as well as at the state level in strategic states, on behalf of, and together with, those most affected by the indiscriminate use of highly hazardous pesticides (e.g. farmworkers, farmers, children and Indigenous communities). We are especially enthused about ARA’s prioritization of grants that support ecologically-based pest management approaches that are effective, affordable, and environmentally-sound, maintain agricultural productivity and healthy communities, and improve climate resilience. We are also avid proponents of agroecology — a productive, ecologically resilient, equitable, economically viable and sustainable approach to farming that integrates cutting edge science with local and Indigenous knowledge and practice, and a commitment to the political approach of food sovereignty. As such, we are also very happy to see that the ARA calls for increasing set-asides in EQIP and CSP for beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, and provides support for the new generation of farmers and ranchers using the full array of climate-friendly practices from the outset of their farming careers.
Ben Lilliston, The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy: "Climate change is not waiting on Congress to act. Farmers are facing increasing drought, extreme winds, downpours, and heat. We need to act boldly and urgently to help farmers adapt to climate change while reducing emissions. The Agriculture Resilience Act does just that by expanding farm conservation programs, and investing in research, farmland protection, pasture-based livestock, soil health and local markets - all critical steps toward a more resilient food system."
Richa Patel, Climate Policy Specialist, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition: "The urgent need for comprehensive agricultural climate change policy has never been clearer. As farmers and ranchers face heightened flood, drought, wildfire, pests, and other risks exacerbated by climate change, they need farmer-led policy that addresses the multifaceted challenges before them. Built into the Agriculture Resilience Act are direct incentives that provide farmers, researchers, and food systems workers the tools to both mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the risks of climate change in the longer term. Transformative climate policy, incorporating support for a permanent shift toward agroecological systems, is vital. NSAC is pleased to endorse the Agriculture Resilience Act."
Lotanna Obodozie, Climate Policy Director, National Young Farmers Coalition: "The National Young Farmers Coalition is proud to endorse the Agriculture Resilience Act and commends Representative Pingree and Senator Heinrich for introducing a comprehensive bill that provides farmers with the tools they need to be a part of the solution to the climate crisis. The Agriculture Resilience Act recognizes that investing in the next generation of farmers is critical to achieving the United States' climate goals while building a resilient future in agriculture."
Ed Maltby, Executive Director, Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance: “The Pingree Agriculture Resilience Act 2023 tackles the practical implications of climate change facing farmers with size appropriate solutions. The Act recognizes the importance of healthy soils and the positive impact that grazing animals make in maximizing carbon sequestration, gHg reductions and overall environmental and public health. It is not about forcing regulation on farms but rather offering financial incentives to help reach the goals in addition to expanding the information base needed for successful sustainable agriculture into a future with a changing climate."
Northeast Organic Farming Association-Interstate Council: “The Northeast Organic Farming Association-Interstate Council strongly endorses Congresswoman Pingree’s comprehensive “Agriculture Resilience Act” supporting longtime organic soil health practices such as cover-cropping; rotational grazing and composting. As farmers are increasingly impacted by Climate Change, this bill’s multi-year support for research, resilient soil health practices, farmland preservation, etc. is critical for our food supply, while also providing multiple environmental benefits including clean air and water. Supporting agriculture’s proven capacity to mitigate Climate Change via practices that sequester large amounts of atmospheric carbon in the soil is a clear contribution to the public good.”
Brise Tencer, Executive Director, The Organic Farming Research Foundation: "The Organic Farming Research Foundation is proud to endorse the Agricultural Resilience Act (ARA), which provides a science-based blueprint for our food system to meet the challenge of our climate crisis. As a research-focused organization, OFRF has done extensive reviews of strategies to both mitigate and adapt to climate chance, and the ARA supports many of them: soil health management systems, advanced grazing management, public regionally-focused cultivar and livestock breed development, and establishing sustainable, organic, and conservation practices as Good Farming Practices for Risk Management programs. Ultimately, the ARA would put the USDA on the right path to meet the goal of our food system becoming climate neutral by 2040."
Cathleen McCluskey, Organic Seed Alliance: “To address the impact of climate change on agriculture, we have to turn our attention to the first link in our food production chain – seed. Congresswoman Pingree’s H.R. 5861 will result in new public cultivars that help growers adapt to increasingly variable climates. Seed diversity is essential to building agricultural resilience.”
Kate Hansen, Agriculture Program Director, Izaak Walton League of America: “Agriculture can be a vital part of solutions to address climate change, improve water quality, and protect human health. Representative Pingree's legislation invests in America's future by providing the tools essential to restoring healthy soils, cleaning up runoff, and conserving vital habitat for fish and wildlife."
Shelley Megquier, Policy & Research Director, Maine Farmland Trust: "We applaud Representative Pingree's leadership in crafting and introducing the Agriculture Resilience Act in response to one of the most urgent challenges of our time: climate change. The Agriculture Resilience Act charts a path forward for farmers to withstand climate impacts on their farms and remain financially viable, securing a future for their livelihoods, our food security, and economy. This bill will provide essential support to Maine farmers to implement climate-friendly farming practices through funding, research, and risk management."
Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association: “The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) applauds Congresswoman Pingree’s leadership in recognizing the critical role that agriculture plays in addressing the global climate crisis. The Agriculture Resilience Act lays out broad and ambitious goals for mitigating and adapting to the impacts of our changing climate. MOFGA is especially grateful to Representative Pingree for prioritizing investments in soil health, agricultural research, conservation practices, biodiversity, and increased technical and financial assistance for organic production practices.”
National Center for Appropriate Technology: “We are thankful to Representative Pingree and her team for their leadership on the Agriculture Resilience Act. NCAT is committed to advancing solutions that work toward the mission of creating strong communities that provide individuals with healthy food and clean energy, soil, and water. This legislation is in line with that goal and incentivizes farmers to work towards accomplishing it by providing much needed support and resources, while expanding research focused on sustainable practices. Not only does Rep. Pingree’s bill give farmers the tools they need to prosper in today’s changing environment, but it also ensures that they build resilience in our food systems that will allow strong communities to provide necessary resources for generations to come.”
National Farmers Union President Rob Larew: “Family farmers across the country have always been on the frontlines of climate change. They’re already adopting smart practices that help their farms adapt to changing conditions and they want to do even more — but farmers can’t do it alone. The Agriculture Resilience Act puts farms and farmers first with needed investments in soil health, voluntary conservation practices, renewable energy, and agricultural research. Thank you to the sponsors for reintroducing this important bill.”
Abby Youngblood, Executive Director, National Organic Coalition: “The National Organic Coalition applauds Congresswoman Pingree and Senator Heinrich for their leadership in introducing the Agriculture Resilience Act to make the necessary federal investments to enable farmers to use climate-friendly farming practices to help solve the climate crisis before it’s too late. Addressing the climate crisis facing our planet should be a top priority for Congress. Science is showing us that agriculture can be a major part of the solution to the problem, but it requires a very deliberate shift toward climate-friendly farming practices. The Agriculture Resilience Act provides meaningful incentives for farmers to shift to the use of farming practices that are already commonly required under organic standards. The National Organic Coalition strongly endorses this legislation and will work for its enactment.”
Pesticide Action Network North America: “The Pesticide Action & Agroecology Network (PAN), enthusiastically endorses the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA). We work at the federal level, as well as in California, Minnesota, Iowa and Hawai'i, as well as at the state level in strategic states, on behalf of, and together with, those most affected by the indiscriminate use of highly hazardous pesticides (e.g. farmworkers, farmers, children and Indigenous communities). We are especially enthused about ARA’s prioritization of grants that support ecologically-based pest management approaches that are effective, affordable, and environmentally-sound, maintain agricultural productivity and healthy communities, and improve climate resilience. We are also avid proponents of agroecology — a productive, ecologically resilient, equitable, economically viable and sustainable approach to farming that integrates cutting edge science with local and Indigenous knowledge and practice, and a commitment to the political approach of food sovereignty. As such, we are also very happy to see that the ARA calls for increasing set-asides in EQIP and CSP for beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, and provides support for the new generation of farmers and ranchers using the full array of climate-friendly practices from the outset of their farming careers.”
Hannah Smith-Brubaker, Executive Director, Pasa Sustainable Agriculture: "We've known for decades that farmers are both some of the most vulnerable to the impact of climate change, as well as key players in mitigating its effects. Rep. Chellie Pingree's Agricultural Resilience Act, offers farmers the incentives they need to both help them implement conservation practices—from improving soil health to improving grazing management—that build resilience to severe weather and enables them to be part of the climate change solution. This bold and innovative approach is just what we need, and not a moment too soon!"
Keefe Keeley, Executive Director, Savanna Institute: “The Agriculture Resilience Act addresses gaps in supporting farmers. By creating four agroforestry centers, including expanding the one in Lincoln NE, this bill will ensure that federal research and support for agroforestry is within-reach of many of the major farming centers of the country. These centers can coordinate the distribution of services and resources both regionally and nationally, reducing confusion about federal support for agroforestry and spearheading demonstration initiatives. This Act also addresses another major barrier to agroforestry through its support for public cultivar research. Not nearly enough research has gone into identifying viable commercial cultivars for Midwest tree crops. While organizations such as the Savanna Institute have been taking steps to address that gap, the federal government has a major role to play in incentivizing and coordinating such research. If passed, this Act would help make widespread agroforestry across the country possible. For that reason, we enthusiastically support its passage.”
Britt Lundgren, Senior Director of Sustainability, Stonyfield: “Our children’s future depends on the federal government taking decisive action to put the US on course to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. At Stonyfield we know that agriculture is a critical part of the solution to climate change, and farmers need the right tools and support to make this happen. We applaud Representative Pingree for her leadership - this legislation is a blueprint for how agriculture can transition from being a net source of greenhouse gas emissions to being a net sink.”
Virginia Association for Biological Farming: "The Virginia Association for Biological Farming (VABF) enthusiastically supports the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA). With climate change bringing record flooding in 2018, a flash drought in summer 2019, and fruit crops ruined by untimely spring freezes after abnormally warm winters such as that of 2022-23, Virginia's producers need all the help they can get to stay in business. The ARA takes a thorough and holistic approach to the goals of making US agriculture carbon-neutral by the year 2040 and enhancing agricultural resilience to erratic and extreme weather. We especially welcome its strong emphasis on soil health, advanced grazing management, plant and animal breeding for resilience, agroforestry, composting of organic residues, and robust funding for USDA research and conservation programming to address the climate crisis. Increased research investment in organic and agroecological systems will be absolutely vital. For example, findings to date indicate that advanced soil health and nutrient management can greatly reduce fertilizer inputs and thereby curb nitrous oxide emissions, the largest component of US agriculture's direct greenhouse gas emissions. More research and outreach are needed to enable farmers to put this strategy into widespread practice."
Jaydee Hanson, Policy Director, Center for Food Safety: "The Center for Food Safety strongly supports the Agriculture Resilience Act as introduced by Representative Pingree. We believe that it is essential that it becomes part of the Farm Bill."
Mary Olive, Interim Land Policy Director, Carbon180: “From research to practice adoption, the Agriculture Resilience Act invests in a comprehensive approach to soil health that can build carbon and on-farm resilience, ensuring US farmers and ranchers can sustainably steward their land for generations to come. We applaud Congresswoman Pingree and Senator Heinrich for offering a transformational and science-backed vision to support producers and actualize agriculture’s potential as a carbon sink.”
Thomas Manley, Marbleseed: "How we shape farm policy in this critical moment will have a massive impact on our collective ability to preserve soil, maintain and improve water quality, mitigate the impacts of climate disruption, and protect human health. These are not partisan concerns. We all rely on the very same natural resource base for our lives and livelihoods. The ARA is legislation that is simply good for America."
Chris Schreiner, Chief Executive Officer, Oregon Tilth: "Farmers and farmworkers are on the front lines of climate-related adverse impacts, including increased extreme weather events, wildfire, drought, record heat, and declining water resources. The latest research and farmer experiences have demonstrated how organic, regenerative practices can be part of the solution. We can revitalize agriculture and increase resilience with focused attention on research, technical assistance, conservation, and organic practices. The Agricultural Resilience Act represents a bold blueprint on how to rebuild a better, brighter food future."
Oregon Climate and Agriculture Network: “Oregon Climate and Agriculture Network (OrCAN) promotes soil health for climate resilience on Oregon’s farms and ranches. Climate change is increasingly putting farms and ranches at risk, as farmers and ranchers are experiencing the impacts of climate related extreme weather events. The Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA) will address critical gaps in funding to help our producers who are on the front lines of climate change. Because soil health practices are a key strategy to increase resilience to extreme weather, address environmental concerns, and increase profitability, we’re especially interested in the ARA’s investment in State Assistance for Soil Health (SASH). The investment the ARA will make into Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) is also crucial to encouraging adoption of conservation practices, empowering producers to teach and learn from their peers, and putting the principles of sustainable agriculture into practice. Through programs like SASH and SARE, the ARA will invest in making our farmers and ranchers more informed, resilient, and prepared in the face of our changing climate.
Kate Anderson, the Union of Concerned Scientists: "The Agriculture Resilience Act offers a science-based framework to build a more robust, climate-ready, and environmentally sound food and farming system—at a time when farmers and ranchers are facing growing losses from climate-related disasters. Today’s dominant model of corporate industrial agriculture harms farmers and contributes to unhealthy diets, while degrading soil, polluting air and water, and leaving our food supply vulnerable to extreme weather—all while fueling the climate crisis. This bill would expand farmers’ access to proven practices that improve soil health—making it more resistant to erosion, better able to absorb floodwater and withstand drought, and less likely to pollute waterways. Farmers across the country are already using strategies like cover cropping, crop rotation, and managed grazing. But achieving a truly resilient food system requires stronger financial investment and hands-on technical support. The Agriculture Resilience Act gives farmers the tools they need to succeed—and to lead in confronting the climate crisis."
New Mexico Healthy Soil Working Group: “On behalf of the New Mexico Healthy Soil Working Group, a grassroots education and advocacy organization, we commend Senator Heinrich for introducing and sponsoring the Agriculture Resilience Act. The Act is vital for our future by honoring farmers and ranchers, by investing in and incentivizing the health of the soil and by helping restore relationships with the land and each other.”
Anya Fetcher, Federal Policy Advocate, Natural Resources Council of Maine: “Congresswoman Pingree has been a strong, unwavering champion for bold climate solutions that will help grow Maine's local economies, including our local food systems. This bill recognizes that while we need to give farmers more tools to remain strong in the face of extreme weather, they also can be part of the solution by acting as responsible stewards of the land.”
Climate Land Leaders: “Farmers are ready to lead on solutions that make their lands more resilient and farms more profitable. They want to build a legacy of healthy soils, waters, and habitats for our next generations. The Agriculture Resilience Act invests robustly in farmers through conservation incentives, research, and farmland preservation at a critical time in our history.”
Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association: "We are thankful for Congresswoman Pingree's leadership in sustainable and organic agriculture. The Agriculture Resilience Act includes many priorities that improve food system resilience by supporting farmers in doing what they do best, stewarding the earth. Our organization is consistently concerned about soil health and remains dedicated to maximizing efforts to heal degraded land. We view this legislation as a vital investment in our farmers, our land, and our communities."
Matthew Dillon, co-CEO, Organic Trade Association: "Farmers today are confronting unprecedented challenges, from unpredictable weather to shifting markets. As an organic farmer, Congresswoman Pingree's advocacy for a more resilient agriculture system is the leadership we need to tackle these growing challenges. The Agriculture Resiliency Act empowers farmers to lead the way toward a stronger future, ensuring our food system remains secure for generations to come."
Peter LaFontaine, Friends of the Mississippi River: "Investing in applied research is a key driver of sustainability in ag. The ARA will provide a much-needed focus on climate resilience and mitigation, helping America's farm economy meet the challenges of our time."
