Rural Investment to Protect our Environment, or RIPE, applauds the inclusion of $20 billion for climate-smart agricultural practices in the Inflation Reduction Act. However, RIPE urges lawmakers to shift funds away from the cost-share model in favor of payments that provide producers with a reasonable return for conservation.
RIPE Executive Director Aliza Drewes says, “We believe that new funds intended for climate-smart agriculture should set payment levels to cover the full cost of practice implementation.”
While the IRA offers significant funding, the group claims most producers will not seek to use them because the payment terms are limited to cost-share requirements. RIPE is a producer-led nonprofit advancing a unique climate policy plan for farmers, ranchers and the public, and advocates for the implementation of the RIPE100 policy. The policy would allow farmers and ranchers to earn payments that reflect the benefits they deliver with a price floor above implementation cost, economic risks and future climate policy costs.
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