Don Fullerton, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Julian Reif, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Megan Konar, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Tatyana Deryugina, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Crop insurance cushions farmers against natural disasters, but it also can lead them to overuse resources and reduce their incentive to adapt to climate change.
The Agriculture Department provides nearly $6 billion annually for land, water and wildlife conservation on farms. President Trump’s 2019 budget drastically reduces funds for these programs.
Congress is drafting the 2018 farm bill, which will guide agriculture, nutrition, trade and rural development policy. A former agriculture secretary explains how this bill reaches far beyond farms.
Whether or not farmers believe human activities are changing the climate (many don’t), an agriculture specialist urges them to pursue payments for techniques that return carbon to the soil.