TL/DR –
Under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2023, President Biden allocated over $20 billion to reduce the 10% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions caused by agriculture, including funding for research into climate-friendly crops and farming practices. This funding was withdrawn by President Trump in April, who labeled it a “scam”. As a result, scientists and researchers are now seeking other sources of funding to complete their work.
Billions Assigned by Biden for Greenhouse Gas Reduction Clawed Back by Trump Administration
The Trump administration is retracting the billions in funding President Biden allocated to tackle the 10% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, leading critics to dub the fund a “slush fund”
Greenhouse Gas Reduction and the Inflation Reduction Act
The Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law in 2023 by President Biden, set aside over $20 billion to minimize agricultural emissions. This fund, which included money for researching new, environmentally friendly crops and practices, has been cancelled by President Trump, causing researchers to struggle for funding to complete their study.
Research Implications and Reaction
Ag scientist Jerry Hatfield, who was conducting a study on sustainability in agriculture using a $32 million budget, is one of many threatened by the program termination. The program, part of a larger $20 billion initiative for sustainable farming, had been funding research into climate-related agricultural science.
Richa Patel of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition remarks that the research was important for filling a knowledge gap, stating that it was still ongoing and looking into the effects of climate-smart practices on the climate, carbon sequestration, and greenhouse gas reductions.
USDA Response and Farmer’s Reactions
The USDA criticized the grant program funding the research as a slush fund and redirected it to prioritize direct payments to farmers. However, farmers such as Roy Pfaltzgraff argue that the research data is more valuable to them than direct cash payments as it guides their decisions on managing their lands to combat intensifying drought arising from global warming.
Current Funding Landscape
Ag scientists are now looking for alternative funding sources. Jerry Hatfield reapplied under the reworked USDA program and has been volunteering his time since April but states that he cannot maintain his current efforts without sufficient funding.
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