Sorensen Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Support Farmers and Combat Extreme Weather
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17), alongside Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17), introduced the Advancing Research on Agricultural Climate Impacts Act, bipartisan legislation to support farmers and combat extreme weather by better tracking farmers’ conservation efforts.
"I'm proud to introduce this bill with my colleague, Congressman Mike Lawler, that ensures farmers are rewarded for good practices that improve soil health," said Sorensen. "Farmers and ranchers like those in Central and Northwestern Illinois have always been at the forefront of understanding our environment and the changing weather. Investing in soil carbon tools and techniques helps ensure that we can make our lands sustainable for future generations of producers. I’m proud to introduce this legislation with my Republican colleague that supports our farmers."
“I’m proud to join my colleague Eric Sorensen in introducing the bipartisan and bicameral Advancing Research on Agricultural Climate Impacts Act. This legislation will provide critical investment in soil carbon sequestration, unleashing innovative farming technologies that can feed millions while also resulting in a cleaner environment for generations to come. That’s something we can all get behind,” said Lawler.
Farmers and ranchers have implemented practices for years that improve soil health and capture emitted carbon. Despite this, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) does not have the standards or technology to measure soil carbon in a cost-efficient and scalable way, making it difficult to reward farmers for improving soil health and reducing greenhouse gases.
By giving the USDA tools to accurately track farmers’ efforts to combat carbon pollution, this legislationhelps the USDA and policymakers better incentivize environmentally friendly farming practices.
You can read full text of the legislation here.
“By directing critical investments into soil carbon sequestration, theAdvancing Research on Agricultural Climate Impacts (ARACI) Act can help transform agriculture’s relationship to climate change. This legislation makes soil carbon sequestration more accountable to environmental benefits by investing in innovation to better measurement tools, regionally-relevant insights, and on-the-ground support for American farmers who wish to shift to climate-friendly practices on their land. Rep. Sorensen and Rep. Lawler’s leadership in advancing the ARACI Act helps farmers and ranchers grappling with extreme climate and weather cultivate healthier soils and showcase their contributions to climate mitigation,” said Cristel Zoebisch, Deputy Director of Policy at Carbon180.
“Even as we confront the challenge of climate change, Illinois agriculture can be a growing force for carbon sequestration and climate action. With federal support and in consultation with stakeholders, the University of Illinois is ready to contribute scientific resources for developing the necessary tools to measure, monitor, report and verify soil carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions so that farmers can be appropriately rewarded for carbon capture. Consistent with this proposal, our experience shows the power and potential for advanced data analytics to contribute to understanding the relationships between land management practices and greenhouse gas emissions and soil carbon sequestration. We look forward to partnering with all interested parties in developing predictive models to enable practices that expand the potential for our agricultural sector to be profitable, sustainable, and inclusive, while playing a positive role in a comprehensive climate strategy,” said Germán Bollero, Dean, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
"Illinois grain farmers are global leaders in producing low carbon commodities. We utilize highly productive soil, implement advanced farming techniques and practices, and operate highly efficient equipment and technologies. This bill will enhance the ability to measure and verify this massive competitive advantage and unlock new revenue opportunities for the impressive stewardship Illinois farmers continuously provide,” said Nik Jakobs, Executive Advisor at nZero and Partner at Jakobs Bros. Farms in Sterling, IL.
“We commend Reps. Eric Sorensen (D-IL) and Mike Lawler (R-NY) for introducing the bipartisan Advancing Research on Agricultural Climate Impacts Act in the House. This measure would help support additional research that benefits dairy farmers as they continue to undertake a wide variety of innovative environmental stewardship practices,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO, National Milk Producers Federation.
“Healthy and resilient agricultural landscapes ensure American producers can generate the foods, fiber, and fuels needed to drive our economy. What’s more, these soils can store vast quantities of carbon as plants draw CO2 from the air. We applaud Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Eric Sorensen (D-IL) for their bipartisan leadership in introducing this important bill, which directs USDA to systematically assess soil carbon across the country. This standardized approach is essential to improving our understanding of our farming landscapes and the vital economic, environmental, and climate benefits they provide,” said Michele Stockwell, President of Bipartisan Policy Center Action.
"Farmers and Ranchers are first and foremost stewards of their land. As such, no one has a greater stake in implementing regenerative practices, improving soil health, building resilience, and improving productivity. But without innovative tools and granular data, those growers are unable to fully recognize the climate-impact of their stewardship. The Advancing Research on Agricultural Climate Impacts Act will dramatically expand the opportunity for recognizing agriculture's decarbonization efforts and allow Farmers and Ranchers to further capture the value of their stewardship practices," said Preston Brown, Director of Agribusiness at nZero.
“AGree supports the Advancing Research on Agricultural Climate Impacts Act. This bill will promote improved data collection and research to develop farmer focused, scientifically-sound information on the benefits of soil carbon and conservation practices,” the AGree Coalition said in a statement.
“As animal scientists, we recognize that our animals are fed products from the soil. Understanding the dynamics of soil carbon and how we can help maintain soil health are important to FASS and all animal agriculture. Efforts to establish baselines and provide standards for how to conduct such assessments must be done, and the sooner, the better,” the Federation of Animal Science Societies (FASS) Science Policy Committee said in a statement.
Congressman Eric Sorensen is the first openly LGBTQ person elected to represent Illinois at the federal level and is a member of the New Democrat Coalition. He serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Prior to serving in Congress, Sorensen was a local meteorologist in Rockford and the Quad Cities for nearly 20 years. His district includes Illinois’ Quad Cities, Rockford, Peoria, and Bloomington-Normal.
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