Farmer-Led Climate Policy That Works for Farmers
The RIPE100 plan enables farmers of all sizes and types to earn $100 per acre from conservation practices.
American farmers have a pivotal role to play in tackling climate change, but they shouldn’t sacrifice their own livelihood in the process. RIPE100 is uniquely designed to ensure that climate policy will not hamper farmer profitability, and illustrates the larger public contributions farmers provide by rewarding conservation practices’ water, soil, and other environmental benefits in addition to carbon.
As the 117th Congress considers climate policy, including the proposed USDA Carbon Bank, they have an opportunity to change the partisan climate dialogue with a policy designed to address farmers’ economic needs.
The RIPE100 program:
- Differs from other plans that focus solely on carbon payments. RIPE100 payments of $100 per acre reflect the value to society for carbon, soil health, water quality, and other environmental services. Existing carbon payment programs average around $15 per acre.
- Covers the full cost of implementation, including the increased costs of inputs affected by climate policy, plus a reasonable return beyond participation costs that reflects the combined public benefits.
- Makes enrollment easy and supports practices that are currently implemented.
76%
of farmers support a climate policy that pays $100 per acre for voluntary adoption of conservation practices
78%
of farmers support a policy that pays for practices that improve soil health and water quality as well as carbon capture over a policy that pays solely for carbon capture
Independent survey of farmers conducted by Trust In Food
What Farmers Say About RIPE
“Not punishing early adopters is important to me and my husband as we have done many practices over the years and are running out of options.”
“This is the right way to move farmers.”
“This is the only plan out there that will help get good stewardship practices on the ground.”
“RIPE is farther ahead than most others on policy development, and the focus on early adopters is so valuable.”
“There is a need for locally flexible federal conservation programs, and I think RIPE has a really good approach.”
RIPE is a farmer-led non-profit advancing a national climate policy that invests in voluntary agricultural stewardship practices that provide a reasonable return to farmers and the public.