WASHINGTON — As the US Department of Agriculture kicked off the implementation phase for projects funded through Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, the agency also launched a network to learn from projects as they are executed. The Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Learning Network is a collaborative resource, generating lessons learned from all the project partners.
A total of 141 projects will be carried out through the $3.1 billion Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities effort.
“Farmers, ranchers and forest landowners are on the front lines of climate change,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “At the same time, they are uniquely positioned to deliver climate solutions through climate-smart production that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and sequesters carbon. Through these projects, our partners are working to create new markets for climate-smart commodities, while developing the tools needed to quantify impacts and help producers implement climate-smart practices on their land. We’re excited these projects are getting underway and look forward to achieving meaningful results for producers, agriculture and forestry economies and our climate.”
Over the course of up to five years, the projects will:
- Provide technical and financial assistance to producers to implement climate-smart production practices on a voluntary basis on working lands.
- Pilot innovative and cost-effective methods for quantification, monitoring, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas benefits.
- Develop markets and promote the resulting climate-smart commodities.
Using an interactive project dashboard, companies interested in participating can find projects in their area. USDA said the dashboard will be updated periodically and will provide links to the most current project websites.
