American producers have a pivotal role to play in tackling climate change, but they shouldn’t sacrifice their own livelihood in the process.
Current public and private carbon programs rely on a cost-share model and participation is costly to farmers. At Rural Investment to Protect Our Environment (RIPE), we believe farmers and ranchers should be fairly rewarded for carbon plus all the public benefits conservation practices provide.
The RIPE100 policy plan would compensate producers with $100 per acre or animal unit for their public contributions through voluntary stewardship practices. Qualifying practices provide clean water, healthy soil and air, greater biodiversity, greenhouse gas reduction and other environmental benefits. Additionally, the payments would cover the increased costs of inputs, like fuel, due to climate policy.
Legislators on both sides of the aisle are interested in the RIPE100 policy but need to hear from producers before moving forward.
Here’s how RIPE100 will work for you:
- Allows producers to receive a reasonable return.
- Enables all farmers and ranchers to participate with a producer-friendly program that is simple and practical.
- Rewards early adopters and demonstrates greenhouse gas “additionality.”
- Compensates voluntary stewardship at levels that align with the combined environmental values delivered.
- Promotes equity and inclusion.
- Does not compete for funds against existing safety net programs.
- Complements existing markets and programs by allowing stacked payments up to the public value delivered by the practice.