Lewandrowski, Jan

Digital Repository at the University of Maryland

Climate Change and Agriculture: How is USDA Helping Agriculture Respond Jan Lewandrowski (USDA)2016 Crop Insurance WorkshopAnnapolis, MD September 13, 2016Solids Separation Cover CropsPlug Flow Digester Reduced Tillage Precision Agriculture Conservation BuffersToday’s Roadmap  • The last 3 years – moving quickly• Climate Change Program Office• USDA Climate Hubs• USDA Building Blocks for Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry• USDA GHG Inventory • The Agencies Moving Quickly: We are seeing climate change3Increased drought /flooding Reduction in water tablesIncreasing pests and diseases Longer wildfire seasons, more  intense fires Moving Quickly: Climate Policy • In February 2014, Secretary Vilsack announced the establishment of a network of 10 USDA Climate Hubs and Sub Hubs• On March 31, 2015 the U.S. submitted its target of reducing U.S. GHG emissions by 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2025• On April 23, 2015 Secretary Vilsack outlined the building blocks and established a goal of reducing emissions by 120 MMTCO2e per year by 2025.• The 2016 Conference of Parties to the U.N Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) resulted in a new international framework for reducing global GHG emissions. As a Party to the agreement the U.S. formally committed to its 2015 targetRoles of the Climate Change Program Office  •   Serves as the USDA-wide coordinator of global change program and policy issues related to agriculture, rural and forestry,•   Ensures that USDA is a source of objective, analytical assessmentsof climate change impacts and proposed response strategies,•   Serves as USDA focal point for climate change issues:- responsible for coordinating activities with other Federal agencies, - interacting with the legislative branch on climate change issues  affecting agriculture and forestry, - represents USDA on U.S. delegations to international climatechange discussions.•   Coordinate synthesis reports, projections, and analysis   A network of 10 Regional Hubs and Sub Hubshttp://www.usda.gov/climatehubs 6USDA Climate Hubs Vision: Agricultural production and natural resources maintained and strengthened under increasing climate variability and environmental change Mission: 1. Develop and deliver science-based, region-specific information and technologies to agricultural and natural resource managers; to enable climate-informed decision-making; and 2. Direct land managers to USDA agency programs and regional partners to build resilience to climate3. Coordinate USDA research with other Federal Climate   networks (CSCs, RISA, LCCs).4. Coordinate USDA “climate” activities within each   Hub region.7The Hubs use existing networks to reach our stakeholdersCounty Extension Agent or extension network USDA Service Centers and AgenciesFSA / NRCS/RDCertified Crop ConsultantForestry ConsultantState ClimatologistSeed DealerFertilizer SalespersonFriends or FamilyCollegeProfessor8Stakeholders USDA Service Agencies Cooperative Extension Land Grant Universities Farmers Ranchers Forest land ownersThe Hubs9USDA Climate Hubs: Recent AccomplishmentsRegional Vulnerability Assessments completed for all regionsThe recently launched Climate Hubs Tool Shed is an online, searchable database of tools (data-driven, interactive websites and mobile apps) that can assist land managers, land owners, and extension professionals in adapting working lands to the impacts of climate change. http://climatehubs.oce.usda.gov/content/tools-and-datahttp://www.usda.gov/climatehubs 10USDA Climate Hubs: Recent AccomplishmentsUSDA Climate Hubs: Find out more at:11www.usda.gov/climatehubsUSDA Building Blocks for Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry  What is Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry? • Promotes increases in agricultural and forest productivity and farm and forest incomes; • Builds greater resilience to climate change for  forest and agricultural systems;• Reduces and removes greenhouse gas emissions associated with agriculture, forests, and land use change; and • Increases renewable energy production from farms and forest biomass. Principles of the USDA Building Blocks• Voluntary and incentive-based – Building on existing legislation and our history of “cooperative conservation.”• Focused on multiple economic and environmental benefits – Through efficiency improvements, improved yields, or reduced risks.• Meet the needs of producers – By focusing on working farms, ranches, forests, and production systems.• Assess progress and measure success – Through quantitative goals and objectives.• Cooperative and focused on building partnerships – With industry, farm groups, and conservation organizations.The Ten Building BlocksNitrogen Stewardship• Goal: 64M acres under nutrient management to reduce N2O emissions• 2025 Mitigation Target: 7 MMT CO2eSoil Health  Goal: Increase soil carbon through healthy soil management practice 2025 Mitigation Target: 4.0 – 18.0 MMT CO2eLivestock Partnerships• Goal: 500 new digesters, cover 10% of anaerobic lagoons (dairy and swine)  • 2025 Mitigation Target: 21.2 MMTCO2eThe Ten Building BlocksGrazing and Pasture lands • Goal: Establish grazing management plans on additional 9 million acres • 2025 Mitigation Target: 1.6 MMT CO2eConservation of Sensitive Lands   ● Goal: 400,000 acres in CRP with high GHG benefits, protect 40,000 acres with easements, transfer expiring CRP acres to permanent easements ● 2025 Mitigation Target: 0.8 MMT CO2eStewardship of Federal Forests• Goal: Reforest 32,000 acres in National Forests • 2025 Mitigation Target: 2.5 MMTCO2eThe Ten Building BlocksPromotion of Wood Products ● Goal:  Increase medium rise buildings made withwood annually from 440 in 2015 to 900 in 2025• 2025 Mitigation Target: 19.5 MMT CO2ePrivate Forest Growth and Retention   ● Through FLP and CFP, protect almost 1 M acres of working landscapes, and establish trees and shrubs on an additional 1 million acres through NRCS programs● 2025 Mitigation Target: 4.8 MMT CO2eUrban Forests• Goal: Plant 100,000 additional trees in urban areas  • 2025 Mitigation Target: 0.1 MMTCO2eThe Ten Building BlocksEnergy Generation and Efficiency   ● Goal: Promote renewable energy technologiesand improved energy efficiency through Rural Development energy programs    ● 2025 Mitigation Target: 60.2 MMT CO2eImproving Agriculture and Forestry GHG Inventories Every 2 years (about) USDA publishes a GHG Inventory covering source and sink categories in the U.S. agriculture and forestry sectorThe inventory is consistent with:1. The national GHG inventory published annually by U.S. EPA2. The guidelines, methods, and reporting requirements of the UNFCCC  Agriculture and Forestry processes captured by inventory• Agriculture– Enteric fermentation (CH4)– Manure mgmt. (CH4 and N2O)– Fertilizers and manure applied to soils(N2O)– Lime and urea applied to soils (CO2)– Rice (CH4)– Field burning of agricultural residues (CH4 and N2O)• Land Use, Land Use Change, and Forestry– Above/below-ground biomass – Dead wood and litter– Soil organic matter– Non-CO2 emissions from land use/land use changeUNFCCC reporting requirements• US GHG Inventory covers 1990 to two years before present• Inventory must be:– Transparent– Consistent– Complete– Comparable– Accurate• Review: peer review and expert review• Inventory methods should improve and uncertainties reduced over timeUSDA has formed a Building Blocks Metrics Team• The team is assessing data and analytic needs to enable the Department to track progress in implementing the building blocks• We have identified specific “conservation indicators,” e.g. acres no-till, manure mgmt for each building block• Assessing current data availability• Developing links between this data and US GHG Inventory methods and calculations• This will inform agency performance metrics and national GHG inventoryUSDA Agencies and Offices Helping Agriculture Respond to Climate ChangeUSDA Climate Change (CC) Programs (in $1,000s) 2015 2016 2017(Actual) (Enact) (Budget)US Global CC Research $             87,784 $           83,540 $           108,435 Agric Res Service 40,720 39,530 59,369National Inst of Food and Agric 20,405 15,339 19,369Forest Service  23,747 24,736 24,736Other (ERS, NASS, NRCS) 2912 3,935 4,952CC Adapt, Prepar & Resilience $       1,245,705 $      1,218,626 $        1,247,998 Agric Res Service 3,470 5,470 5,470Natural Res Cons Service 76,354 4,170 18,470Forest Service 1,163,216 1,205,164 1,219,625Office of the Chief Econ 2,665 2,551 3,015Other (APHIS, RMA, FSA) 0 1,271 1,418International Assist (all FS) $               3,000 $             3,000 $               3,000 Source: Our Changing Planet  (2016)ARS Research in Natural Resources & Sustainable Agricultural Systems• 450 Scientists• 139 Research Projects• 62 Locations• Water Availability & Watershed Management• Climate Change, Soils, and Emissions• Bioenergy and Energy Alternatives • Agricultural and Industrial Byproducts• Pasture, Forage, and Rangeland Systems• Agricultural System Competitiveness and Sustainability27Greenhouse gas Reduction through Agricultural Carbon Enhancement network GRACEnet 28From the GRACEnet brochure at:  http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/programs/programs.htm?np_code=212&docid=21223From its list of approved conservation practices,  NRCS has identified those with GHG benefits NRCS30Synthesis Reports: Global Food SecurityClimate change is very likely to affect food security. Risks are greatest for the poor and in the tropics.Risks are magnified  as the rate and magnitude of climate change increase.Climate change risks to food security extend beyond agricultural production, and include all elements of the food system, such as production, storage, processing, transportation, and consumptionConclusions 33Mitigation: GHG Mitigation Supply Curve for U.S. Agriculture $0$10$20$30$40$50$60$70$80$90$1000 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120Cost of Emission Reductions (2010 $ / mtCO2e)Emission Reductions Achievable (TgCO2e)

Climate Change and Agriculture: How is USDA Helping Agriculture Respond

https://drum.lib.umd.edu/bitstream/1903/18858/1/Lewandrowski%2c%20Jan%202016.pdf

Climate Change and Agriculture: How is USDA Helping Agriculture Respond

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Digital Repository at the University of Maryland