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The Paris Accord and Agriculture

Cindy Zimmerman

Unlike everyone else, agriculture interests had very little to say about President Trump pulling the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Accord.

“President Trump promised that he would put America first and he has rightly determined that the Paris accord was not in the best interests of the United States,” said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in a statement. “The Earth’s climate has been changing since the planet was formed – on this there is no disagreement. At USDA, we rely on sound science and we remain firmly committed to digging ever deeper into research to develop better methods of agricultural production in that changing climate.”

The only farm organization to release a statement on the president’s action was the National Farmers Union (NFU). President Roger Johnson said the President’s decision “is shameful, and it fails to recognize the very real and immediate threats of climate change to family farmers, ranchers, and our nation’s food security.”

Under the Paris Agreement, the U.S. pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 26 percent by 2025. The Trump Administration intends to begin negotiations on an entirely new agreement with more favorable terms for the United States.

AgWired Precision, Environment, USDA