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USDA announces it’ll give $1 billion to farmers and ranchers through several grants to help them fight climate change effects.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it will invest $1 billion in projects that will educate and help farmers and forested landowners use practices that will lower climate change effects. Specifically, they aim to lower greenhouse gas emissions and storing carbon. The program is called the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities.

According to EcoWatch, this will help achieve President Biden’s promise of cutting agricultural emissions in half by 2030. U.S. farming is responsible for about 10% of the country’s total greenhouse emissions, so the president hopes that farmers will lead the way in cutting it. 

The grants will range from $5 to $10 million, and both public and private entities can apply. This includes small businesses, nonprofits, local governments, and colleges.

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“Funds for the program will be provided by the USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation, which makes available up to $30 billion per year for the support of farm income, CNBC reported. The focus of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program will be on projects that use climate-friendly practices like rotational grazing, as well as those that measure and keep track of their emissions and sequester carbon.”

The climate crisis has recently caused droughts, storms, and floods, and farmers experienced big losses. Hopefully, these grants will help farmers learn how to use methods for food production that don’t cause severe climate change effects.

Marina is passionate about sustainability and works to help ensure our planet stays as our home for a long time. She takes part in environmental conservation by recycling and not buying single-use plastic.

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