Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, and Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., on Thursday, April 21 – Earth Day – will reintroduce the bicameral Agriculture Resilience Act, which they say “sets a roadmap to achieve net-zero emissions from agriculture by 2040 and empowers farmers with the tools and resources needed to improve soil health, sequester carbon, reduce emissions, enhance their resilience, and tap into new market opportunities.”

Pingree first introduced the legislation in the 116th Congress, but a spokeswoman said the new version “includes an expanded grant program to fund the development and implementation for state and tribal soil health plans; bolsters the Conservation Stewardship Program, encourages the transition from annual to perennial crop production; increases support for the Organic Cost Share program; creates a new Processing Resilience Grant Program for small meat and poultry processors; and places a priority on underserved producers to advance equity.”

“Extreme weather events are upending farmers’ bottom lines, threatening their businesses and risking the future of our food supply. Congress must work to keep farmers on their land, and we must work to empower those farmers to implement climate-smart practices that reduce the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions and increase their resilience in the face of climate change,” Pingree said in a news release. “The Agriculture Resilience Act focuses on solutions that are farmer-driven in order to reach net-zero emissions in this sector by 2040. Climate change deserves a whole-of-government approach, and I’m looking forward to working with the Biden administration to ensure farmers have a seat at the table as we work to address the climate crisis.”

“New Mexico’s farmers and ranchers, whose livelihoods depend on the health of our land and water, are on the frontlines of the climate crisis and know all too well the effects that extreme weather events can have on their operations. Through regenerative agriculture and soil management, our producers can simultaneously make their land more resilient and play a large role in the fight against climate change,” Heinrich added. “This legislation will make ambitious investments to help our farmers and ranchers improve soil health, expand conservation programs, increase research into climate agricultural practices, and support on-farm renewable energy projects.”