Promoting Climate-Friendly Agriculture for the Benefit of Farmers, Rural Communities, and the Environment

Natural Resources & Environment, Volume 33, Number 1, Summer 2018

6 Pages Posted: 5 Nov 2018

See all articles by Peter Lehner

Peter Lehner

Earthjustice - Sustainable Food and Farming Program

Nathan Rosenberg

Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic; University of Arkansas School of Law

Date Written: September 22, 2018

Abstract

As farmers and ranchers struggle to adapt to the extreme weather caused by climate change, conventional agricultural practices aggravate the problem, producing nearly ten percent of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. There are evidenced-based practices farmers can use to increase resilience to floods, heat waves, droughts, and pests, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing soil carbon storage. Yet public spending in agricultural research and extension has not only declined in recent years, but has also remained focused on conventional methods, hindering the development and dissemination of these climate-friendly practices. This article argues that Congress should dramatically increase public funding for the research, development, and dissemination of climate-friendly practices, bringing significant returns to farmers, rural communities, and the public.

Note: © 2018 by the American Bar Association. Reproduced with permission. All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in any form or by any means or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written consent of the American Bar Association.

Keywords: Climate Change, Climate, Deep Decarbonization, Food Law & Policy, Food Systems, Agricultural Law, Agricultural Research

Suggested Citation

Lehner, Peter and Rosenberg, Nathan, Promoting Climate-Friendly Agriculture for the Benefit of Farmers, Rural Communities, and the Environment (September 22, 2018). Natural Resources & Environment, Volume 33, Number 1, Summer 2018, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3264459

Peter Lehner

Earthjustice - Sustainable Food and Farming Program ( email )

CA
United States

Nathan Rosenberg (Contact Author)

Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic ( email )

122 Boylston St
Boston, MA 02130
United States

University of Arkansas School of Law ( email )

260 Waterman Hall
Fayetteville, AR 72701
United States

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

Paper statistics

Downloads
287
Abstract Views
1,495
Rank
219,702
PlumX Metrics