It’s already November, but farmers across the nation are still suffering in the aftermath of a series of extreme weather events that wrought havoc this year. It began withdevastating spring floodingand wet weather that wasrecord-setting,visible from space, and had ripple effects farbeyond the farm.
Some farmers in the Great Plains were even hit with opposite water challenges just months apart, when failing infrastructure broughtwater shortagesright on the heels of flooding. These events remain top of mind for many farmers facing uncertain yields and profit at the end of a difficult season, with some still trying toharvest cropsas winter closes in.
This year’s floods are just one reminder of the sober warnings fromUSandglobalscientists regarding agriculture’s vulnerability to climate change. Just this month, the wildfires raging through California have put even morefarms at risk. Other reminders includedangerous heat,drought, andlack of clean water. Meanwhile, more subtle changes, like shifting growing conditions, have also been making trouble. For fruit and nut trees, for example,declining winter “chill”hoursjeopardize yields, while early blooming leaves them vulnerable to spring freezes – this is what prompted heightened fruit prices and made thenews in 2017.
In short, climate change impacts take many shapes,withcascading effects, and with many farmers facing more than one at a time.
Costly consequences of the climate crisis
At a time when farmers arestrugglingto stay afloat, the burden of weather and climate disasters is particularly heavy, and the need for disaster relief acute. The2017 Census of Agriculturerevealed that less than half of farms reported a profit, and net farm incomes averaged just $43,053 per farm (even lower than the $43,750 reported in 2012). And recentreports suggestthat 2019’s farm debt may reach a record high, with farm bankruptcies also on the rise. Keeping farming legacies alive means supporting farmers through these very specific climate realities.
与此同时,it’s worth noting that climate change impacts are starting to rack up quite the bill for taxpayers. In September, the USDA announced adisaster reliefpackage worth over $3 billion to help US farmers recover from crop and milk losses caused by extreme weather from 2018-2019. The package covered both damaged crops and “prevented planting” (cases where weather extremes kept farmers from planting crops in the first place), but only represented a subset of recent costs for weather-related farm damages. For example, in July, the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service announced over$200 million to fund conservation easements土地被洪水损坏。这些联邦relief programs are in addition to others, including the safety net provided by theFederal Crop Insurance Program.
Unfortunately, such costs are becoming routine, rather than exceptions. Between 2011 and 2016, flood-and drought-related claims to federal crop insurance programs reached over$38 billion in payouts, averaging over $6 billion per year. And these types of claims are projected to increase as climate change ramps up, costing taxpayerssignificantly moredecades down the line. This, by the way, is pricey. For a little perspective, the Conservation Stewardship Program—one of the largest national programs for sustainable agriculture and one that can help with both climate change adaptation and mitigation—had a budget of a relatively small$700 millionfor 2019.
Farmers and soil at the forefront
With disasters picking up the pace, it’s no surprise that farmers around the country are speaking up about climate change,citingunpredictable and more extreme weather patterns, including winds, heat, rain, and more. But much more importantly, farmers in states likeCaliforniaandIowaandbeyondare already stepping up and fighting back. Further, many arebuilding resiliencein ways that have benefits not only on-site, but also downstream.
A growing body of science (asmy colleaguesand I havewrittenandpodcasted) points to solutions—solutions that start with soil. Healthy, living soil promotes resilience through practices that can also increasecarbon storage, contributing toward reducing the nation’s netheat-trapping emissions. There are alsoopportunitiesfor co-benefits—like cleaner water, biodiversity, and even提高利润. Although there’s still much to learn, the prospect that farmers could adapt to a changing climate, sustaining their livelihoods and legacies while also helping to turn the tide is exciting, to say the least.
Investing in science-based policies that support farmers and benefit all
Decades of shortsighted federal farm policies have incentivized practices that have depleted and damaged soil, which is now hindering farmers’ ability to adapt to a changing climate. Rebuilding soils now requires investing in them, and in farmers. Agrowing number of stateshave already taken up that cause, but other states, Congress, and the USDA also need to act.
Moreover, this year’s record-setting weather, with its difficult and at timesheartbreakingeffects on farmers andfarmworkers, illustrated (again and again) the need for urgent action on climate change. The price of inaction is just too steep.
There’s no question that US farms will continue to face challenges for years to come. However, science-based policies and up-front investments can put them in a stronger position—not just to weather the storms, but to help lead the way to alow-carbon future.