Under Braun’s proposal, the Department of Agriculture would certify third-party providers of technical assistance to farmers, ranchers and foresters wishing to sell carbon credits in emissions trading markets. Farmers would generate credits by following land and water management practices that reduce climate-changing greenhouse gases. Credit buyers typically include carbon-emitting manufacturers and power companies.
The legislation “opens the door for farmer participation in a market-based system that rewards farmers for implementing conservation practices on their farms if they choose to do so,†Brent Bible, a Lafayette corn and soybean grower and adviser to the Environmental Defense Fund, testified before the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, of which Braun is a member.
Braun’s bill “seeks to provide more clarity and guidance for farmers and ranchers who want to provide the ecosystem services that more and more consumers and businesses are demanding,†Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, said at the hearing, which the committee streamed live online.
