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Conservation payments to producers that reflect environmental benefits.

At Rural Investment to Protect our Environment (RIPE), we believe farmers and ranchers should be fairly rewarded for the public benefits of their conservation practices.

That’s why producers who voluntarily implement stewardship practices would earn payments above implementation costs, based on the public value they provide, through our proposal. Payments would reflect the value of public benefits such as soil health, clean water, water conservation, wildlife conservation and climate mitigation. RIPE-approved practices exceed $100 per acre or animal unit in public benefits.

Legislators on both sides of the aisle are interested in the RIPE proposal but need to hear from producers before moving forward.

Here’s how the RIPE proposal will work for you:

  1. Lowers practice implementation risk. 
  2. Simple, practical program, with easy application.
  3. Rewards early adopters and demonstrates greenhouse gas “additionality.”
  4. Compensates voluntary stewardship at levels that align with the combined environmental values delivered.
  5. Equity and inclusion baked into the policy. Available to all producers.
  6. Does not compete for funds against existing safety net programs.
  7. Complements existing markets and programs by allowing stacked payments up to the public value delivered by the practice.

Learn more about how you can take action now to help get the RIPE platform in the farm bill.

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

Support for RIPE

Farmers should be rewarded for their efforts to work against climate change, and the RIPE proposal would do that. I like that the plan does not have mandates or regulations or punishments. And if you are already using these practices, you’ll still get your payments. It has a lot of potential.

The RIPE proposal will have a huge impact on farmers and ranchers because it will make implementing conservation practices much easier and less of an economic burden.

As farmers, we create public benefit not only through producing food for the world, but also by being stewards of our natural resources. RIPE is about making sure that producers get fair compensation for that.

One of the things I like about RIPE is support for early adopters. I also see the benefit personally from climate-friendly practices and think the incentive to continue those practices will be beneficial for many producers.

I believe the RIPE proposal can be the incentive to move the conservation needle significantly across our agriculture landscape to the benefit of the producers and our communities that thrive off the stewardship of our natural resources.

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