Trump’s funding freeze puts climate-friendly farm programs in jeopardy
A federal freeze on billions in U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation funds has left thousands of farmers uncertain about their spring plans and sparked fears of long-term setbacks in climate adaptation efforts.
Georgina Gustin reports for Inside Climate News.
In short:
- The Trump administration has frozen billions in USDA conservation and energy program funds, calling them “far-left climate” initiatives and requiring changes that strip diversity and climate elements from grant applications.
- Many farmers had already shifted to practices like cover cropping and no-till farming, which improve soil health, store carbon, and reduce fertilizer costs, but say they may have to abandon them without funding.
- The freeze disrupts programs long in development and popular with farmers, with nearly $2 billion in promised grants on hold and potential losses totaling $12.5 billion, according to separate analyses.
Key quote:
“Everyone thinks these conservation programs are about farmers. But it’s way bigger than just the farmer. These don’t just help with yield. It’s helping every single person on the planet.”
— John Burk, Michigan farmer
Why this matters:
Long viewed as bipartisan common sense, U.S. farm conservation programs are now collateral damage in the political war over climate action. In President Trump’s second term, billions in federal support for soil health and emissions reductions have been stalled or rerouted, threatening the future of practices that many farmers already see as essential, not ideological. The freeze not only undermines current conservation work but also puts the U.S. at odds with a growing global consensus that resilient, low-emission agriculture is a key tool in the climate fight. For farmers already caught between volatile markets and a warming planet, it’s a political move that could come at a significant cost.
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