Trump Agriculture Department and farming groups tiptoe into climate discussion

The Department of Agriculture is looking to halve the U.S. farming industry’s environmental footprint by mid-century in a target that includes several climate and clean energy goals. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue will announce the target, which also includes boosting agricultural production by 40% in that time frame, at the agency’s annual agricultural outlook forum Thursday. The production and environmental goals are a critical piece of the administration’s new Agriculture Innovation Agenda, which Perdue says will "better align" public and private research into new farming practices. Under its new agenda, USDA is setting a number of environmental “benchmarks.” That includes achieving a “net reduction of the agricultural sector’s current carbon footprint” by 2050, according to a news release shared with the Washington Examiner. The department will specifically urge farmers to boost carbon sequestration in soils. In addition, the department will urge the farming industry to cut food waste in half by 2030, minimize nutrient loss in soils by 30% by 2050, and increase biofuels production to reach 15% of transportation fuels by 2030 and 30% by 2050. USDA hasn’t put a specific number on the greenhouse gas goal, though, and it isn’t clear how the agency would hold the sector accountable if it doesn’t reach those benchmarks...MORE