USDA Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation Robert Bonnie says agriculture and environmental interests can find common ground through climate policy. Bonnie spoke at the American Sugarbeet Growers Association Annual Meeting and advocated a carrot versus a stick approach. “Regulations can be good at getting folks to stop doing bad things; they aren’t good at getting folks to adopt good things,” said Bonnie. “An approach of incentives and collaboration is good.” When incentives are based on the amount of carbon sequestered, early-adopters are penalized. Bonnie said USDA climate-smart partnerships are not conservation programs; they are a commodity program. “Tying it to the practice ultimately provides an opportunity to keep early-adopters in the game and rewarded for their stewardship.”
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