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Will Agriculture Benefit From Climate Change Legislation?

Amanda Nolz

Stock-dam Will Agriculture Benefit From Climate Change Legislation? That’s the question that Hoosier Ag Today asked recently after the USDA released its final analysis of the Climate Change legislation that is currently making its way through Congress. As we looks at the pros and cons of this legislation, I think it’s safe to say that things are changing in the agriculture industry today, and we are going to have to be proactive instead of reactive when it comes to taking care of the environment.

Gary Truitt writes, According to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, “The report sees extraordinarily small increase in food prices. Somewhere between point one percent and point two percent in the short run and between one percent and two percent by the year 2050.”

He told reporters during a national teleconference on Wednesday that increases in fertilizer and energy costs will be minimal and that farmers will be able to more than offset those higher costs by trading in the carbon market. The Secretary says the conservative study, which assumed no technological progress, found that over the medium- and long-term, carbon offsets will “overwhelm” any increased production costs. Vilsack had tough words for those who advocate more study and a slower approach to dealing with climate change, ”The climate is changing and we have to deal with this change now.”

As the “original environmentalists,” farmers and ranchers should keep a close eye on this legislation. What are your thoughts on Climate Change legislation? How will it affect your segment of the agriculture industry?

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