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 OUR
MESSAGE
The Agricultural Carbon Market Working Group is unique for
our industry in that it is comprised of national farm leaders
from all three major commodities, the biofuels industry, and
other key agricultural stakeholders. Together we have spent
two years studying and addressing potential carbon offset markets
for agriculture that could result from national policy. We
have also worked with our agricultural organizations to begin
addressing issues related to climate markets for agriculture.
The
Agricultural Carbon Market Working Group works cooperatively
with other
entities interested in seeing carbon markets for
agriculture such as nine land grant universities, Consortium
for Agricultural Soil Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases (CASMGS),
the Dole Daschle 21st Century Farm Policy Initiative, as
well as Environmental Defense Fund, an organization that
supports agricultural offsets.
The Agricultural Carbon Market
Working Group has identified a series of key policy principles
that we believe form the
basis for informed discussion of agricultural carbon markets,
or greenhouse gas (GHG) markets. |
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Here
are a few policy proposals our group has agreed should form
the basis for discussion:
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We
support engaging in climate policy legislation to protect
agriculture's opportunity to participate
in new revenue streams that derive from carbon offset markets
related to conservation practices and renewable fuels;
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There should be no limits on the agricultural
sector as an eligible carbon offset provider;
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Agricultural
producers should be allowed to market the value of management
practices and renewable fuel related GHG offsets that result
in demonstrable improvements to global climate through both
emission reductions and additional carbon sequestered terrestrially;
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We
support U.S. agriculture's participation in an international
carbon market so long as countries that have agreed to set
limits on emissions are treated under non-discriminatory
protocols;
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The
agricultural community supports funding from the Department
of Energy that gives consideration to both terrestrial sequestration
as well as geologic alternatives at least up to the funding
levels in Phase II levels (75% Geologic & 25% Terrestrial);
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Carbon
credits prices should be established in a transparent
marketplace, free from artificial limits;
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While
individual states may choose to develop trading rules and
protocols
for agriculture-related carbon offsets, we support development
of national standard similar to other commodities that
provide consistency and standardization for trading throughout
agriculture in the US;
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The
USDA should play a leading role in providing measurement,
education, and research support to agriculture entities interested
in defining the value of management activities and marketing
projects that store carbon and/or reduce emissions;
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The
USDA should be integrally involved in the establishment of
standardized trading protocols. |
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is our hope that we can be a resource for key policymakers who
are
interested in the role agriculture can play to mitigate greenhouse
gases and develop new value-added carbon markets for agriculture.
Together we can work to create the kind of policies
that are good for agriculture and rural America. |
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| Agricultural
Carbon Market Working Group Steering Committee |
The
Ag Carbon Markets Working Group (ACMWG) was developed
through a process of collaboration between Environmental
Defense Fund, concerned farmers and industry experts.
Environmental Defense Action Fund provides financial
support for advertising and promotion related to
the ACMWG. |
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Coordinator:
Laura Sands, The Clark Group LLC.
503 2nd St. NE
Washington, D.C. 20002
aginfo@clarkgroupllc.com
Fred Yoder, Ohio
Former President of the National Corn Growers Association and
also a member of the Farm Bureau.
John Long,
South Carolina
Past president of the American Soybean Association and a
member of the SC Wildlife Federation Board and Palmetto
Agribusiness Council.
Dale Gardner, Virginia
Executive Secretary of the Virginia State Dairymen's Association
and serves on the Virginia Agribusiness Council.
Stanley Johnson, Iowa/Nevada
Former Vice Provost for Extension at Iowa State University,
a founder of FAPRI and currently working for the World Bank
and the United Nations.
Bill Horan, Iowa
Steering committee member of 25 x 25 and NCGA's Taking Ownership
of Grain Belt Agriculture and a leader in numerous biodiesel,
ethanol and other renewable energy initiatives.
Christine
Hamilton, South Dakota
President and CEO of Christiansen Land and Cattle, and
board member of Powering the Plains and the SDSU Foundation.
Kristin
Duncanson, Minnesota
Farmer and former member of the board of the
American Soybean Association.
Donnie Young, Kansas
Diversified operation owner and former President of the
Kansas Corn Growers Association.
Bruce Wright, Montana
Member of the Montana Grain Growers and the Farm Bureau.
Wallie
Hardie, North Dakota
Former President of the National Corn Growers
Association, and a member of the Midwest Ag Energy Network.
Dick
Wittman, Idaho
Farmer, rancher and timber holder and former President
of the Pacific Northwest Direct Seed Association.
Paul
Kenney, Nebraska
Farmer and President of the Kearney Area Agricultural Producers
Association (KAAPA).
Mark Schwiebert, Ohio
Corn and soybean producer, former Chairman of the NCGA Task
Force.
Justin Knopf, Kansas
Diversified producer and a member of the National Corn Growers
Association and the Farm Bureau.
Chuck Rice, Director, CASMGS,
Kansas
CASMGS is a nine-state university consortium dedicated to
carbon sequestration and other technologies as a potential
solution to climate change.
Carl Mattson, Montana
Farmer and
Conservation and Farm Program Associate.
Montana Grain Growers Association.
Phone: 406-761-4596 |
Fax: 406-761-4606 |
cmattson@mgga.org
Lance Woodbury, Kansas
Partner, Kennedy & Co, a leading advisory
firm for agricultural producers and agribusiness in Garden
City, Ks. |
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