Stewardship Incentives Committee

Purpose, Goals, and Priority Work

1. Background
   
   Industrial agriculture is a significant source of environmental problems, including water pollution, air pollution, odors, habitat loss, climate change, human health impacts, and soil depletion. In contrast, sustainable agriculture has the potential to be a primary driver for clean water, clean air, increased habitat and diversity, climate change mitigation, renewable energy production, and soil quality improvement. In short, agriculture can provide environmental and societal benefits for everyone at the same time as food, fiber and energy are being produced for profit. Yet U.S. policies currently provide powerful incentives that reward further industrialization of agriculture and destruction of the environment. And while some programs have been created to support sustainable farming systems that enhance the natural environment, they have been consistently under funded, in some cases diverted from their original purposes, and burdened with difficult application processes, contradictory incentives, and variable ranking systems that create structural and technical barriers to farmer and rancher participation.
2. Role of the Stewardship Incentives Committee
   
   Overall, the Stewardship Incentives Committee's goal is to strengthen, expand, and improve conservation and renewable-energy policies that help farmers adopt sustainable and environmentally sound farming practices. The Committee brings together the views of diverse sustainable agriculture, environmental, and other organizations to craft common analysis, strategy, and action. The Committee is the leading force nationally in support of the Conservation Security Program (CSP). In addition, it supports the other conservation programs listed below, advocating for adequate funding and dealing with specific rules and policy issues related to sustainable agriculture.
   
   The Committee also actively monitors and provides guidance on conservation program implementation Ñ disseminating information to help farmers and ranchers understand program application processes and timing and gathering input on how administrative improvements could lead to better program participation. In addition, Committee members are committed to participating in National Campaign discussions about possibilities for re-shaping and re-focusing commodity subsidies and other policies that, whether inadvertently or intentionally, lead to environmental degradation. In particular, the Committee will explore how further development of the Conservation Security Program could help to redirect commodity funding towards green payments that reward farmers for the environmental benefits they provide to society.
3. Capacity/Expertise Provided by Partner Organization(s):
   
   California Coalition for Food and Farming (Formerly CA SAWG) has been involved in the Stewardship Incentives Committee since 2001 and is committed to remaining active in the Committee's work. We can recruit other members for the committee, forward alerts, get California groups to sign-on to letters, and assist our members in contacting their representatives
   
   Defenders of Wildlife contributes policy analysis, DC presence, some media and grassroots mobilization (Rural Updates). Policy analysis is also done at the state level. It is interested in all conservation programs, but especially the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program, Grasslands Reserve Program, a continuous Conservation Reserve Program, and Wetlands Reserve Program as well as energy issues.
   
   Minnesota Project: A national leader on CSP, it provides policy analysis, media, education and outreach, and materials development, as well as monitors program implementation and encourages program utilization.
   
   National Catholic Rural Life Conference provides grassroots mobilization, education and outreach, networking with partner groups, and small doses of policy analysis.
   
   New York Sustainable Agriculture Working Group does grassroots mobilization, education, outreach and media work in NYS. Long term, it may develop the capacity to offer technical assistance in NYS.
   
   Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (SAC) is a national leader on much ag-related policy work, including CSP. SAC provides full-cycle policy analysis, DC presence, advice on mobilization strategies and timing, media outreach, and education.
   
   Virginia Association for Biological Farming (VABF) can post action alerts on CSP and other key conservation programs on its web site, e-mail to its membership and other lists, and run articles as appropriate in its quarterly newsletter.
   
   Western Sustainable Agricultural Working Group (WSAWG) currently is operating a pilot project to create a western network of WSAWG members involved in implementation of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and Conservation Security Program by becoming active members of their respective State Technical Advisory Committees.

© 2007-2008 National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture.