Farmers eye green jet fuel credits amid policy updates

USAgNet - 02/20/2024

In a critical moment for US agriculture and environmental policy, American farmers stand at the crossroads of opportunity and uncertainty. The spotlight is on the Biden administration's impending update to the GREET model—a method for measuring greenhouse-gas emissions in fuel production.

This update holds significant implications for the corn-ethanol sector, a staple in the US agricultural landscape, which fears potential revisions might undercut their eligibility for valuable subsidies aimed at promoting lower-emitting jet fuels.

The concerns stem from how the model evaluates emissions, with a specific focus on regenerative farming, carbon capture, and the effects of indirect land-use changes. These elements are crucial for acknowledging the environmental contributions of US agriculture and its shift towards more sustainable practices like precision agriculture, which boosts yield per acre.

A bipartisan group of senators, including Amy Klobuchar, Tammy Duckworth, and John Thune, alongside 40 other congressional members, have rallied for a prompt response from the administration by March 1. Their plea emphasizes the need for a model update that fairly credits agricultural innovations and recognizes the sector's strides towards mitigating climate change.

This push for policy refinement speaks volumes about the evolving landscape of American agriculture—a transition towards greener practices and the quest for sustainability.

As the administration mulls over these considerations, the outcome will not only influence the economic prospects of countless farmers but also the broader trajectory towards a more sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural sector in the United States.


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