Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities
The Program
Through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Congress provided $20 billion to “directly improve” soil carbon and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in agriculture. This included $300 million to “quantify” and “monitor and track” climate-smart benefits. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has also invested $3.1 billion in the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities (PCSC) program. The PCSC program supports 141 project across sectors including public, private, research, and academic initiatives.
USDA’s goal is to support “a diverse range of farmers, ranchers and private forest landowners.” Program eligibility also requires recipients to include meaningful involvement of small and underserved populations.
The Opportunity
Carbon markets can increase farmer profitability while encouraging practices that improve environmental conditions, increase soil health, and
combat climate change. The PCSC program provides a unique opportunity to strengthen data and enhance measuring, monitoring, reporting, and verifying (MMRV) methodology. This program can facilitate coordination between industry and government to ensure an even playing field.
Click that orange button above to discover the challenges and recommendations for the PCSC program moving forward.
