The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that it offers a support package of up to 1,000 million dollars.

Grants target a diverse set of farmers, ranchers, and forest owners through climate solutions that build resilience, expand market opportunities, and strengthen rural America.

The new Climate-Smart Commodities Partnerships opportunity provides that budget to pilot projects that create market opportunities for commodities, using climate-smart practices.

USDA is already accepting applications for the corresponding projects for fiscal year 2022.

Through this new program, USDA will fund partnerships to support the production and marketing of climate-smart commodities through a set of pilot projects lasting from one to five years.

Thus, the US government will provide technical and financial assistance to producers who voluntarily implement climate-smart practices on farmland; test innovative and cost-effective methods for quantification, monitoring, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas benefits; and commercialize the resulting climate-smart commodities.

Support

USDA will include a broad cross-section of US agriculture and forestry through this effort, and as part of this is the significant inclusion of small, underserved producers and early adopters.

The design of this opportunity was based on more than 400 comments received in the Request for Information published in September 2021.

Project funding for Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities will be available through the Commodity Credit Corporation.

Applicants should refer to the Funding Opportunity Notice for full details on application requirements, including USDA’s anticipated market expansion and overall outcomes for this new program, which will help increase farmers’ competitive advantage, US ranchers and forest owners, including early adopters, both nationally and internationally.