4 a gree ccitf_Documenting the Economic Benefits of Soil Health Management for Farmers
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The document discusses a strategy by AGree's Conservation and Crop Insurance Task Force (CCITF) to use existing USDA data to assess how adoption of conservation practices impacts crop risk and yields. The CCITF aims to integrate data from various USDA sources to analyze the risk reduction benefits of conservation. Current efforts include research supporting the correlation between conservation and risk reduction, and engaging USDA agencies to facilitate data integration while maintaining confidentiality. Potential outcomes include changes to crop insurance and supporting conservation adoption.
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4 a gree ccitf_Documenting the Economic Benefits of Soil Health Management for Farmers
- 1. www.foodandagpolicy.org DRAFT CONFIDENTIAL – NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION 1 Linking Existing Data on Conservation and Risk: An AGree Strategy to Drive Adoption of Conservation Practices Soil & Water Conservation Society Conference | July 27, 2015
- 2. www.foodandagpolicy.org 1. Overview of AGree 2. AGree’s Conservation and Crop Insurance Task Force a. Objective b. Membership c. Strategy d. Data Challenges e. Current Efforts f. Maintaining Data Confidentiality g. Potential Outcomes 3. Q&A Presentation Roadmap 2
- 3. www.foodandagpolicy.org AGree’s Key Challenges Meet future demand for food Strengthen farms and communities to improve livelihoods Improve nutrition and public health Conserve and enhance water, soil, and habitat 3
- 4. www.foodandagpolicy.org Three Phases of AGree 1 • Established a unique voice (diverse leaders and brand) and trusted platform for dialogue 2 • Develop consensus recommendations • Identify advocacy and action priorities • Identify implementation partners, funders, and coalitions 3 • Support and build out coalitions, and advocate for policy change • Catalyze and advance “proof of concept” projects • Serve as a platform for dialogue, collaboration, and innovative thinking 4 4
- 6. www.foodandagpolicy.org 1. Immigration Reform 2. Working Landscapes 3. Food & Nutrition 4. International Development 5. Research & Innovation 6. Local Food 7. Risk Management 8. Next Generation Eight Integrated Initiatives 6
- 7. www.foodandagpolicy.org 7 AGree’s Conservation and Crop Insurance Task Force (CCITF)
- 8. www.foodandagpolicy.org Use the federal crop insurance program to drive broader adoption of conservation practices CCITF Objective: 8
- 9. www.foodandagpolicy.org 9 • Barry Barnett: Mississippi State University • Rich Bowman: The Nature Conservancy • Larry Clemens: The Nature Conservancy • Keith Coble: Mississippi State University • Neil Conklin: Farm Foundation • Craig Cox: Environmental Working Group • Randy Dell: The Nature Conservancy • Kristin Weeks Duncanson: Duncanson Growers • Viola Glenn: Rural Advancement Foundation • Nick Goeser: National Corn Growers Association, Soil Health Partnership • Ferd Hoefner: National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition • Bruce Knight: Strategic Conservation Solutions, Former Chief of NRCS • Doug Lawrence: Blackwoods Group • Carl Mattson: George Mattson Farms, Inc. • Stephanie Mercier: Farm Journal Foundation, Former Chief Economist for the Senate Agriculture Committee • Sarah Mine: Datu Research • James Moseley: AGree Co-Chair, Former Deputy Secretary of USDA • Rob Myers: Midwest Regional SARE Coordinator, University of Missouri • James Robinson: Rural Advancement Foundation • Susan Schmidt: Cargill Crop Insurance Agency • Zeke Spears: K∙COE Isom • Ryan Stockwell: National Wildlife Federation • Wally Tyner: Purdue University • Paul Wolfe: National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition • Josh Woodard: Cornell University • Fred Yoder: Ohio Corn Growers Association 9 CCITF Members:
- 10. www.foodandagpolicy.org Examine ways that crop insurance could recognize the risk reduction benefits of conservation practices First hurdle = analyzing data to assess how… 10 CCITF Strategy: Conservation Practice Adoption • Yield • Yield variability • Crop resilience to extreme weather • Soil health • Other environmental indicators Impacts:
- 11. www.foodandagpolicy.org Existing USDA datasets on crop insurance payment and loss history, yield, soil health, weather, and other environmental indicators could be integrated and analyzed to assess the risk reduction impacts of conservation practices. This sort of data is collected by multiple USDA agencies, including: – ERS – FSA – NRCS – RMA – Others 11 Data Challenges: However, the data exists in multiple databases and is collected at various temporal and spatial scales. It cannot be easily integrated for analysis.
- 12. www.foodandagpolicy.org 12 Sampling of USDA Datasets: Dataset Agency Relevant Variables Dataset Collection Period Frequency Observations Public or Private Unit Level Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Data NRCS Conservation practices implemented Established in 1996; expanded in 2002 Annual enrollment for up to 10-year contracts 151,589 contracts on 58.1 million areas in 2009-2012 Public and Private Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) Watershed Assessment Study (WAS) NRCS, in partnership with ARS, FSA, and others Soil; Water; Climate; Land management; Socio-economic data Includes data from 14 ag research watersheds Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) Data NRCS Conservation practices implemented Established in 2008 Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) ERS & NASS Conservation program participation; Use of certain conservation practices Started in 1996 Annually 5,000 fields and 30,000 farms surveyed each year Private Field
- 13. www.foodandagpolicy.org 1. Supporting research by Cornell University Professor Joshua Woodard to provide evidence for the correlation between adoption of conversation practices and risk reduction 2. Engaging leadership and senior staff at multiple USDA agencies to facilitate the integration and analysis of existing datasets containing publicly available and confidential data in order to assess the risk reduction impacts of certain conservation practices, conservation systems, or enhanced soil health 13 Current CCITF Efforts:
- 14. www.foodandagpolicy.org Some of the data that would need to be integrated and analyzed in order to evaluate the risk reduction impacts of conservation practices is confidential, field- and farm-level data. However, data analysis could be facilitated while maintaining full data confidentiality. Several options exist, including: – A researcher could be placed under contract or work under a cooperative agreement with one or more USDA agencies – A data warehouse could enable analysts to query confidential data without the ability to view confidential, identifying information 14 Maintaining Data Confidentiality:
- 15. www.foodandagpolicy.org Findings from such a data integration and analysis effort could help support: – Changes to the federal crop insurance program – The business case for producers to adopt conservation practices – Industry supply chain sustainability standards – Carbon and ecosystem services markets 15 Potential Outcomes:
- 16. www.foodandagpolicy.org DRAFT CONFIDENTIAL – NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION 16 Questions
Editor's Notes
- Background on AGree: 8-yr initiative, began in 2011 engages, connects, and challenges leaders from diverse communities create/catalyze transformative change in the U.S. food and agriculture system through public- and private-sector action Etc. When AGree started three years ago, the Advisory Committee quickly came to consensus on four overarching challenges facing the national and global food and agriculture system that would form the focus of AGree’s work to come. These four challenges are: (go through the four in the slide)
- These three phases of AGree outline our long-term process (our “Theory of Change” and definition of success are oriented around these phases). For the first three years, we worked on steps 1 and 2 – We have established a unique voice and trusted platform for dialogue, and developed actionable consensus recommendations for private sector and policy change. Phase 2 will largely came to close last fall. Our Conservation and Crop Insruance Task Force’s data integration work is one of our Phase 3 activities We will continue to nurture AGree’s unique voice, strive to come to consensus, and be open to new ideas as we shift our activities to advocacy and implementation.
- AGree has identified 8 main Initiatives, listed here. These initiatives confront fundamental challenges facing the U.S. food and ag system in overlapping and integrated ways. AGree’s efforts that will be the focus of today’s presentation are embedded within Initiative 2 (Working Landscapes: Achieving Productivity, Profitability, and Environmental Outcomes) and 7 (Risk Management: Protecting Farmers, Conserving Resources)
- comprised of researchers and academics, former USDA leadership, and representatives from environmental NGOs, commodity groups, and other stakeholders Investigating strategies for driving broader adoption of conservation practices through the federal crop insurance program
- Since 2013, AGree Advisors and Partners – known as the Conservation and Crop Insurance Task Force (CCITF) – have been investigating a range of strategies for driving broader adoption of conservation practices through the federal crop insurance program. Initially, the group supported conservation compliance in the 2014 Farm Bill. Then asked the question: “How could conservation be further incorporated into the federal crop insurance program?”
- The CCITF’s diverse members include producers, academics, agricultural economists, former USDA leadership, conservation-oriented NGOs, and others (such as Susan Schmidt from Cargill Crop Insurance Agency)
- In order to drive changes in the crop insurance program, there must be actuarially-sound evidence for the risk reduction benefits of conservation practices, conservation systems, and/or enhanced soil health.
- Data that would be needed to assess the risk reduction impacts of conservation practices exists in separate databases across USDA agencies, and is often collected and/or reported at different spatial and temporal scales. This makes is very challenging to integrate the data for analysis. There are institutional challenges (data exists within multiple USDA agencies) and technical challenges (data is incomplete, at different spatial or temporal scales)
- A sampling of the USDA datasets needed to assess the risk reduction impacts of conservation practices, conservation systems, or enhanced soil health - identified by the Task Force. Datasets noted here are held by multiple USDA agencies, including NRCS and ERS.
- In order to create changes in the crop insurance program, evidence of the risk reduction benefits of conservation practices must be quantified and actuarially sound.
- In order to create changes in the crop insurance program, evidence of the risk reduction benefits of conservation practices must be quantified and actuarially sound.