Sugar Producer

June/July 2021

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4 Sugar Producer JUNE/JULY 2021 Changes Ahead? How do proposed responses to climate change and infrastructure affect farmers? FROM THE ASGA Luther Markwart | EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT As we hit the midpoint of 2021, there are multiple issues to assess. First, the nation's recovery from the pandemic has been slow and steady with numerous twists and turns. The return to some semblance of normalcy has been a long and often difficult journey. With vaccinations more widely distributed and people emerging from isolation, the economy should come roaring back to life. However, COVID variants and potential booster requirements mean we will still be navigating post-pandemic uncertainty. Washington's return to normalcy will lag behind the rest of the nation. Today, this has more to do with security concerns than with COVID. In the past we could make visits to congressional offices with no restrictions. These days, we must complete a daily health screening survey, be put on a visitor list for the sergeant at arms to approve our entry, be issued a visitor badge, wear masks at all times, and have an office escort from building entry to building exit. We hope and expect these restrictions will ease over time. As I've shared before, restricted access to the Capitol has been ongoing for well over a year now. However, that has never stopped us from representing the industry to Congress and its members over that time. With a new Congress, there is always a lag in fundraising. However, since the first of April we have been holding Zoom fundraisers for dozens of members and are starting to meet in person under limited conditions which, by law, are outside the Capitol complex. The two overriding policy issues are climate change and infrastructure, each having huge implications and potential threats and opportunities for American agriculture. These issues will garner lots of bipartisan attention, and policies will be forged with urgency and spirited debate. CLIMATE CHANGE The U.S. has rejoined the Paris Climate Accord. In April, the president met virtually with 40 world leaders to work toward cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in half by 2030 and to a net zero by 2050. On that same day, the Senate Agriculture Committee approved the Growing Climate Solutions Act introduced by senators Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and Mike Braun of Indiana. The bill is backed by a strong bipartisan group of 33 senators and 60 agriculture organizations, including the American Sugar Alliance, which represents both the beet and cane industries. The bill would create a structure at USDA to help farmers monetize the climate value of their sustainable practices and have better access to voluntary carbon markets. A USDA-led certification program would help farmers and ranchers identify reliable technical assistance providers or verifiers to facilitate participation in carbon credit programs offered in the private sector. Representatives Abigail Spanberger of Virginia and Don Bacon of Nebraska also introduced a companion version of the bill in the House. U.S. agriculture creates about 10 percent of our nation's GHG emissions. We are looking for ways to reduce it while generating income for growers from private or public sources. We would hope companies and consumers will pay a premium for crops grown

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