USDA Conservation Innovation Grants
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From the 2020 NACD Annual Meeting. Learn about NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) and how they help develop technology and tools that will support decision-making and steweardship.
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USDA Conservation Innovation Grants
- 1. Mission Support Services Operations Associate Chief Area Kari Cohen, USDA NRCS Projects Branch Chief
- 2. Projects Branch at NRCS • Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) • Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) • Voluntary Public Access-Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) • Wetland Mitigation Banking Program (WMBP)
- 3. Conservation Innovation Grants • CIG—supports the development, adoption and evaluation of innovative approaches and technologies • CIG Classic since 2004, On-Farm Trials new in 2018 Farm Bill
- 4. Modifications to Existing Conservation Practice Standards--Adaptive Nutrient Management
- 5. Field Office Tools— Native Bee Habitat Guidance
- 6. New Conservation Practice-- Denitrifying Bioreactors
- 7. Regional Conservation Partnership Program • Innovation was a part of the first iteration of RCPP, new emphasis in 2018 Farm Bill. • What is innovation in RCPP? New partnerships, new modes of conservation delivery, new producer incentives • Alternative Funding Arrangements— expanded provision for innovative conservation by ambitious partners
- 8. Tying it All Together Working Hypothesis: We know what we need to do, we just need more producers and landowners to do it.
- 9. Funding Gap—Case Study from IL • Analysis completed as part of Illinois’ Nutrient Reduction Strategy • 60% of Illinois covered by corn and soybean fields • $800 million in annual costs to treat ag lands for a 45% reduction in nitrate pollution • Approximately $200 million in annual expenditures • Funding gap is $600 million annually
- 10. CIG--The Oregon Climate Trust
- 11. CIG—The Nature Conservancy Farmers in Michigan pay a public drain tax to fund drain maintenance Reduction in tax rate for farmers who undertake conservation that improves drain performance
- 12. Innovative Supply Chain Initiatives
- 13. RCPP—Smithfield Foods Supply Chain Sustainability https://www.edf.org/sites/default/files/content/smithfield-case-study.pdf
- 17. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
Editor's Notes
- Nutrients are essential for food production, but loss of excess nutrients can degrade water quality. With support from a 2004 CIG award, the Iowa Soybean Association, in partnership with the Environmental Defense Fund, worked directly with producers to evaluate an adaptive nutrient management process for refining nutrient management on their farms. Results from this project showed that 80 percent of farmers participating changed their nutrient management practices within 2 years. The greater nutrient use efficiency, made possible through adaptive nutrient management, not only allowed producers to reduce their fertilizer inputs and associated costs, but also reduce the risk of nutrient loss to the environment. These results led NRCS to include adaptive nutrient management in its revised Conservation Practice Standard (CPS) 590, Nutrient Management. NRCS then provided training to field staff on implementing adaptive nutrient management, and is currently providing financial and technical support to increase adoption of this practice nationwide.
- People depend on pollinators for about 30% of their food supply; however, habitat for pollinators has declined in recent years. A 2009 CIG award to the Xerces Society developed new NRCS guidelines for improving native bee habitat. The project demonstrated that establishing native pollinator habitat in previously abandoned agriculture areas significantly increased native bee populations. The project was carried out in California where most of the Nation’s fruit and vegetable crops are located. The guidelines developed led to publication of an NRCS bee habitat improvement reference guide. NRCS is now providing funding to establish bee habitat on previously unused farm areas on hundreds of thousands of acres across the Nation.
- General Mills is working with farmers and advisers to provide technical assistance on how to adopt regenerative agriculture practices. For instance, interested farmers can participate in two-day Soil Health Academy training programs, hosted by Understanding Ag. Longtime soil health advocates Ray Archuleta, Gabe Brown, and David Brandt are providing input into these academies. “We have been feeding families for over 150 years and we need a strong planet to enable us to feed families for the next 150 years,” said Jeff Harmening, chairman and chief executive officer of General Mills in a statement. “We recognize that our biggest opportunity to drive positive impact for the planet we all share lies within our own supply chain, and by being a catalyst to bring people together to drive broader adoption of regenerative agriculture practices.” “The trend is increased demand and coupled with a dwindling natural resource supply, and the pressure facing farming communities, we are concerned with that,” Lynch adds. “The farming community and Mother Nature provide the ingredients for what we aim to sell.” General Mills aims to source 100% of its top 10 priority ingredients by 2020. By the end of its 2017 fiscal year, it had accomplished that goal with palm oil and fiber packaging. Other key agricultural commodities in its top 10 priority ingredients include U.S. raw fluid milk, sugar beets, corn and wheat, plus oats, cocoa, sugarcane, and vanilla. The global food system accounts for roughly one third of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 70% of water consumption, the company claims. Regenerative agriculture practices focus on pulling carbon from the air and storing it in the soil in an effort to help the land be more resilient to extreme weather events. General Mills will partner with key suppliers to drive adoption across key ingredients including oats, wheat, corn, dairy feed, and sugar beets. “Our first on-farm training and education academies will focus on North American growers where we source high-quality oats for Cheerios, Annie’s, Cascadian Farm, Nature Valley, and Blue Buffalo,” says Jon Nudi, president of North American retail for General Mills. General Mills is granting $650,000 to nonprofit organization Kiss the Ground to support farmer training and coaching through Soil Health Academies where growers will learn how to increase farm profitability, build resiliency into the land, and decrease input costs using soil health practices. “Investing in soil health and regenerating our soils has numerous benefits including water infiltration, reduced pest pressure, resilience to unpredictable weather, and reducing greenhouse gasses,” added Lauren Tucker, executive director of Kiss the Ground. “We have an opportunity to not just sustain our natural resources, but to restore them for generations to come.” Today’s announcement builds upon the company’s commitment to improve soil health and to reduce its absolute GHG emissions by 28% across its full value chain by 2025. General Mills reported it is nearly halfway to that goal, with its GHG emissions footprint down 13% in 2018 compared to 2010. Last year, General Mills announced an agreement with Gunsmoke Farms in South Dakota to transition 34,000 acres of conventional farmland to certified organic acreage wheat and other organic rotational crops. The farm will grow wheat to make Annie’s pasta products. General Mills also drives awareness of regenerative agriculture with consumers through its brands. For example, in 2018, Annie’s launched two limited-edition products with ingredients grown using regenerative practices, and this year will offer two additional regenerative agriculture products: Macaroni & Classic Cheddar and Shells & White Cheddar. Cascadian Farm, in partnership with The Land Institute, is working to commercialize organic Kernza, a perennial grain whose 10-foot-long roots are able to capture carbon and water, while preventing soil erosion. And EPIC Provisions is helping connect mission-based companies to progressive livestock producers using regenerative practices. Its Sweet & Spicy Sriracha Beef Bites product was the first consumer packaged product to feature the Savory Institute Land to Market Ecological Verification Outcome seal, which measures outcomes vs. practices. Healthy soil is the foundation for regenerative agriculture and since 2015, the company has invested more than $4 million to advance soil health initiatives. Previous and ongoing examples of General Mills’ work include: Development of The Soil Health Roadmap in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, which outlines key steps to achieve widespread adoption of soil health systems on more than 50% of U.S. cropland by 2025. These efforts could deliver $50 billion in societal benefits annually. Development of a Regenerative Agriculture Self-Assessment tool to help farmers understand how their practices influence soil health, biodiversity, and economic resilience.
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