WASHINGTON – Today, March 19, 2024, in celebration of National Agriculture Day, EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan issued the following statement:
“Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) commemorates National Agriculture Day, recognizing the invaluable contributions of America’s farmers and ranchers to our nation and the world. We owe a debt of gratitude to our agricultural producers, not only for delivering abundant food, feed, fuel and fiber, but also for their efforts to ensure clean water, clean air, healthy soils, and nature-based climate solutions.
Over the past year, I am proud to have visited farms in Wisconsin and Kansas to gain firsthand knowledge of the kinds of sustainable innovation and technology being adopted on farms across the country. I have also attended the largest farmer-led convention in the United States and have regularly hosted agricultural stakeholders in my office in Washington, DC.
Farmers and ranchers will always have a seat the table as we work together optimize agricultural productivity while minimizing environmental impact. That’s why I recently announced the creation of EPA’s first-ever Office of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, to help forge practical, science-based policies that protect the environment while ensuring a vibrant and productive agricultural system.
I am also grateful for the recent policy recommendations (pdf) from EPA’s Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Federal Advisory Committee (FRRCC), a group that provides independent policy advice and information to the agency on a range of environmental issues that are of importance to agriculture and rural communities. The FRRCC’s most recent recommendations are focused on how EPA can best support the agriculture sector’s climate mitigation and adaptation goals, and today, I am proud to offer a formal response (pdf), including several immediate actions the agency is taking to advance priorities identified by the committee.”
