Other Ag News: Release: Agriculture Resilience Act Advances Bold, Farmer-Driven Vision

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Release: Agriculture Resilience Act Advances Bold, Farmer-Driven Vision

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Proudly Endorses Critical Climate and Agriculture Bill

Washington, DC, April 22, 2025 – Today, on Earth Day, Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1) and Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA). The ARA outlines farmer-driven, incentive-based strategies for how the next farm bill can support farmer livelihoods and build climate resilience. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is proud to endorse a bill delivering a bold vision for the future of agriculture. The ARA would adapt the Farm Bill to the current reality by ensuring conservation, research, renewable energy, and rural economic development programs empower farmers and ranchers who are eager to drive climate solutions on the ground.

Through the first hand experiences of the effects of increasingly extreme conditions including floods, drought, wildfires, and increasing pest pressures, farmers and ranchers know the fundamental threat that a changing climate poses to their livelihoods and the viability of agriculture. In response to the challenges facing producers nationwide, Representative Pingree and Senator Heinrich offer the ARA and express their commitment:

“From historic droughts and wildfires to devastating floods and extreme weather, America’s farmers are directly impacted by the climate crisis,” said Pingree, a longtime organic farmer and senior member of the House Agriculture Committee. “With the Farm Bill in limbo and the Trump Administration actively undermining farmers’ interests, bold legislation like the Agriculture Resilience Act is more urgent than ever. These goals are ambitious—but they’re achievable. By helping farmers adopt practices that boost resilience and profitability, this bill charts a path to not only create a more sustainable future for America’s agriculture sector, but ensure greater economic viability for our farmers as well.”

“New Mexico’s agricultural producers and rural communities rely on the health of our land and water to sustain their families and communities. They are also the first to feel the impacts of climate change. That is why we need to provide our farmers and ranchers with new tools to not only protect their land and way of life, but also be part of the climate solution,” said Heinrich. “I’m pleased to reintroduce the Agriculture Resilience Act, which sets a national goal of achieving net-zero emissions in agriculture by 2040 through farmer-led, science-based initiatives. I’ll continue working to bring our communities the tools they need to improve soil health, expand conservation programs, increase research into climate-friendly agricultural practices, and support on-farm renewable energy projects.”

In response to the introduction of the bill, NSAC issued the following comment: 

“The ARA outlines key investments and policies needed in the next farm bill to support the long-term sustainability of our farms and food system. With the changing climate posing serious threats, the risks to our agriculture producers are growing fast. Across the country, farmers and ranchers already know which practices are the most effective for building strong, resilient operations. It is more important than ever to invest in their efforts to safeguard against climate stresses and to protect their land and livelihoods,” said Richa Patel, NSAC Policy Specialist. 

The 119th Congress’ ARA commits to the same focus as previous versions by centering on important climate and agriculture solutions, including perennial practices like agroforestry, agrivoltaics that combine agriculture and renewable energy goals, and the breeding of regionally-adapted crop varieties and animal breeds. By offering both incentives and research in support of solutions on which sustainable farmers are already taking the lead, the bill expands opportunities for the establishment of strong, farmer- and community-led strategies for building farmer economic security while confronting the climate crisis. 

The updated section-by-section can be found here.

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About the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is a grassroots alliance that advocates for federal policy reform supporting the long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities. Learn more: https://sustainableagriculture.net/

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