Food and Farm Security: Recommendations for the 2023 Farm Bill

The document argues that the 2023 Farm Bill should be used to make US agriculture net zero by 2040 and reverse species decline. It proposes expanding the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), strengthening the Sodsaver provision to prevent native prairie conversion, and increasing funding for regenerative agriculture and technical assistance. It also recommends reducing food loss and waste, improving freshwater management, and ensuring bioenergy supports only advanced fuels with at least 50% life-cycle GHG reductions. Additionally, it emphasizes increasing equity for Tribal Nations and historically underserved producers.

• The US agricultural system faces significant environmental pressures, including a projected 22% increase in crop insurance payouts by 2080 due to extreme weather and the loss of 1.8 million acres of grassland habitat in the Great Plains in 2020.
• WWF recommends expanding the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) by introducing 30-year contracts that require rotational grazing and establishing a 'Central Grassland Priority Zone' to protect core and vulnerable areas of the Central Grasslands.
• To prevent the conversion of native prairies, the document proposes strengthening the Sodsaver provision by making any native sod converted after February 7, 2014, ineligible for crop insurance premium subsidies for 10 years and expanding these protections nationwide.
• The brief suggests scaling regenerative agriculture to achieve net zero emissions by 2040, specifically by prioritizing advanced grazing management in EQIP and CSP and developing a new Feed Management standard to reduce methane emissions from livestock.
• To address food waste, which accounts for approximately 35% of produced and imported food in the US, the document recommends funding state and local policies to reduce landfill waste, creating a $10-20 million annual grant program for school food waste reduction, and standardizing federal date labels.
• Regarding the energy transition, WWF argues that bioenergy support should be limited to fuels achieving at least a 50% reduction in life-cycle GHG emissions and should prioritize non-food crop feedstocks and advanced conversion technologies.
• The document calls for increased equity in USDA programs, including increasing designated funding for beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers to 20% in EQIP and CSP, and allowing Tribal governments to directly administer Conservation Title programs via '638' self-determination contracts.

APA

WWF International (2023). Food and Farm Security: Recommendations for the 2023 Farm Bill. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/143/4ts36tbe1v_Farm_Bill_Recommendations_Final.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Food and Farm Security: Recommendations for the 2023 Farm Bill. 2023. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/143/4ts36tbe1v_Farm_Bill_Recommendations_Final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Food and Farm Security: Recommendations for the 2023 Farm Bill |date=2023 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/143/4ts36tbe1v_Farm_Bill_Recommendations_Final.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2023food, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Food and Farm Security: Recommendations for the 2023 Farm Bill}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2023}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/143/4ts36tbe1v_Farm_Bill_Recommendations_Final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }