Priorities for Resilient Agriculture in Budget Reconciliation

The Union of Concerned Scientists recommends strategic investments in USDA conservation programs, agricultural research, and debt relief for underserved producers to help the US reach its 2030 and 2050 climate goals. Key recommendations include $4 billion for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and $9 billion for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), both of which are currently oversubscribed. The brief also calls for $500 million each for SARE and AFRI to address research gaps in agroecology and systems science, $50 million for USDA Climate Hubs, and at least $200 million for Conservation Technical Assistance to support the adoption of climate-beneficial practices.

• The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is recommended for $4 billion in funding to scale up its whole-farm approach, which UCS estimates provides a return of $4 in benefits for every dollar invested. The program has faced high demand, with 75 percent of farmer applicants rejected in 2020.
• The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is recommended for $9 billion in funding to expand its reach and prioritize practices that increase carbon sequestration and soil health. Between 2010 and 2020, 69 percent of applicants to EQIP were turned away.
• To ensure the successful implementation of conservation programs, the document recommends at least $200 million for Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA). This funding is needed to address staffing losses, as the NRCS lost more than 2,000 employees (a 19 percent reduction) between FY2004 and FY2018.
• Publicly funded agricultural research in the US has lagged for decades, falling behind China in 2009. To address this, the document recommends $500 million for the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program and $500 million for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI).
• The USDA Climate Hubs, which provide region-specific tools for climate response, are recommended for $50 million in funding to address 'skeleton crews' and expand their ability to co-produce regionally relevant information.
• The document emphasizes the need for equity and justice, calling for set-aside funding for 'socially disadvantaged' farmers within CSP and EQIP, as well as direct debt relief to stabilize producers who have not received a fair share of federal support.

APA

Lavender, M., & Kamrath, E. (2021). Priorities for Resilient Agriculture in Budget Reconciliation. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://ucs-documents.s3.amazonaws.com/food-environment/UCS-Priorities-for-Resilient-Agriculture-in-Reconciliation.pdf

Chicago

Lavender, Mike, and Erik Kamrath. Priorities for Resilient Agriculture in Budget Reconciliation. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2021. https://ucs-documents.s3.amazonaws.com/food-environment/UCS-Priorities-for-Resilient-Agriculture-in-Reconciliation.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lavender |first1=Mike |last2=Kamrath |first2=Erik |title=Priorities for Resilient Agriculture in Budget Reconciliation |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=September 2021 |url=https://ucs-documents.s3.amazonaws.com/food-environment/UCS-Priorities-for-Resilient-Agriculture-in-Reconciliation.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lavender2021priorities, author = {Lavender, Mike and Kamrath, Erik}, title = {{Priorities for Resilient Agriculture in Budget Reconciliation}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2021}, month = sep, url = {https://ucs-documents.s3.amazonaws.com/food-environment/UCS-Priorities-for-Resilient-Agriculture-in-Reconciliation.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }