The Climate-Smart agriculture partnerships funding announced last week has some environmental groups drawing criticism.
While welcomed by many in the food and agriculture sector, environmental group Friends of the Earth says some of the funding recipients are unacceptable.
Funding recipients and partners include a range of corporations, universities, NGOs, trade associations, farms, tribal organizations, and state agencies.
USDA is expected to soon make another announcement of $700 million for smaller projects under this initiative. Jason Davison, Senior Food and Agriculture Campaigner at Friends of the Earth, says, “Unfortunately, several of them will funnel tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to some of the most egregious climate offenders — Big Ag corporations like JBS, Cargill, and ADM.”
Davison adds, “Many of these corporations and trade associations have historically fought climate mitigation measures, refusing to report data on their emissions and other pollution.” Friends of the Earth called on Congress and the Department of Agriculture to ensure transparency and accountability for the projects.
