Danelle Marqui Brown’s Post

#Denmark goes for #carbontax on #agriculture and re opens the entire debate at #European level - the national move may be well tested before we take any conclusion at #EU level https://lnkd.in/eGNNgzze

Agriculture policies to watch in 2024 An election year means a race to the finish line for the farm bill and some of agriculture’s biggest priorities, including a crackdown on anti-competitive practices and potential H-2A visa reform. #AgriSolar #agrivoltaics #regenerativeagriculture #energytransition #climateresilience https://lnkd.in/g4uq-DBy

With farmers facing more and more issues both within the industry and environmentally, the European Commission has established the Common Agricultural Policy 2023 (CAP 23) legislation to provide European farmers with support through disasters, environmental support, and financial support. Olof Gill, Spokesperson of the European Commission for Agriculture and Trade, answered some of our questions regarding the new legislation. ⬇ #Agriculture #CAP23 #Sustainability #Farming https://bit.ly/498zGev

Why are farmers blocking the road and why can't climate activists? According to the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, each farm received an average of around EUR 3,000 per year from the pot for agricultural diesel subsidies in the 2020/2021 marketing year According to the Ministry of Agriculture, each farm was entitled to at least a basic premium of €156.56 per hectare in 2023. For a 500-hectare farm, this equated to 78,280 euros. In 2023, farmers in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern were entitled to a total of around 268 million euros from this first pillar. Total agricultural subsidies of the Federal Republic of Germany until 2023. Agricultural businesses can receive financial support from various institutions. The Federal Ministry of Finance is making subsidies totalling around 2.36 billion euros available for the agricultural sector for the 2023 budget.

American agriculture reduced greenhouse gas emissions by almost 2% from 2021 to 2022—the largest decrease of any economic sector. This was reported in the Environmental Protection Agency’s recently released Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2022. In this study’s data set, the largest source of agricultural emissions came from soil management—just over 5% of U.S. emissions overall. However, crop cultivation emissions totaled 319 million metric tons in 2022, down 1.7% from 2021.

Happy #EarthDay! Did you know that for farmers, ranchers, and foresters, every day is Earth Day? According to a recent study by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. agriculture represents just under 10% of total U.S. emissions when compared to other economic sectors. The good news is that agricultural emissions dropped 1.8% in 2022, which is the largest decrease of any economic sector and marks the lowest U.S. agricultural greenhouse gas emissions since 2012. This highlights the success and importance of voluntary, market, and incentive-based conservation practices that help farmers and ranchers access finances for the research and technology needed to take even better care of our natural resources. Farmers and ranchers are committed to growing the food and fiber America’s families rely on while improving the land, air, and water, which benefits both the farm and the climate. Let us continue to support and invest in sustainable agriculture practices for a better future. The latest numbers should serve as inspiration to lawmakers who can build on this progress by passing a farm bill, which not only provides a safety net for farmers but also helps invest in sustainable agriculture practices for a better future. #EarthDay #SupportAgriculture #FarmersAreTheUltimateLandStewards #AgricultureConservation #LandStewardship #FoodSecurityIsNationalSecurity

"A review by Chapman Tripp found that over 80 percent of New Zealand's exports are headed to countries with mandatory climate related disclosures that are either in force or on the way." New thinking please. Farming needs to be allowed to balance animal and horticulture/forestry to give carbon zero outputs at the farm gate. Hon. Simon Watts: start an FETS that is open to forestry and farmers ONLY with subsidies for conversion to balanced entities. From Jan 1st 2025 stop issuing NZU for forestry into the industrial ETS and switch auctioning into the new FETS full stop. Outcomes. NZU surplus collapses, industrial emitters pay more. Forestry can sell/offset into farming . Farmers will be speeding to net zero. Trade will continue without be shut out at various borders. #climatemergenecy

The article gives a bold proposition: "... given the difficulty of making a living from farming today, turning farms into more stable businesses owned by companies that can afford to invest might just help to keep more people on the land." Indeed, economies of scale come handy, as capex and machinery investments are expensive. 💰 Large-scale farming is the answer for the majority of global calories. 🥐 But election votes are cast by vast numbers of small farmers - and here you should seek the reasons for agri-populism. 📢 Since European #farming is materially impacted by #subsidies, governments are remaining key stakeholders of the European #foodsystem. Annual farm subsidies of about €60bn make up roughly a third of the EU budget. But even beyond that, governments must keep interest in how earth/soil in their lands is cultivated, as this is closely tied with #foodsecurity - and #nationalsecurity. Keep an eye on policy changes and understand that buying short-term peace is not a long-term solution! https://lnkd.in/eVctFsBy

EU agriculture ministers are meeting today. At the eleventh hour, the Austrian delegation has been leading a charge against the EU #deforestation law, asking for it to be re-opened, ‘in the name’ of organic farmers. We are appalled and we are not alone. As reported in this detailed story, the Austrian environment minister wrote to the European Commission defending the deforestation regulation and stressing that the Agriculture Minister’s proposal is not a governmental position. The organic farmers’ representation has also slammed the move. The law was three years in the making, the European Parliament and Member States voted on it last year. Wanting to reopen it now goes against the EU’s democratic principles and against EU’s law. This also sends a terrible signal: Europe is happy to take decisive action to end the destruction of forests abroad but isn’t prepared to do so at home. Read more here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gXwRV_qv Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2024 Leonore Gewessler Norbert Totschnig

Nature restoration - a billion $ opportunity? At least in Denmark 🇩🇰 ... The new proposed Danish carbon tax on agriculture is no doubt a novel and inspiring move: 🌱 From 2030 onwards, Danish livestock farmers will be taxed effectively 120 DKK / 17 € per tonne of CO2 equivalent, and then 300 DKK / 43 € in 2035 🌱 The law includes significant tax breaks for farmers that reduce emissions. BUT Not to be missed - the proposed legislation is also trailblazing for #naturerestoration and #rewilding! 💡 The proposal includes the launch of a new DKK 40 billion (USD$5.7 billion) "Green Area Fund" targeting initiatives such as afforestation, extraction of low-lying land, strategic land acquisition and subsidies for rewilding. In addition it includes plans to develop 250,000 hectares of forest (of which 100,000 hectares must be ‘untouched’, ie. with no forestry operations) - an almost mind-blowing areal for a small country like Denmark. Nature restoration and biodiversity have immense economical value - and we're now on the financial and regulatory journey to acknowledge that.