For Immediate Release
Contact: Laura Zaks
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
Email: press@sustainableagriculture.net
Tel. 347.563.6408
Release: NSAC Responds to USDA Announcement on Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Program
Widespread Farmer Support Informs USDA Decision to Rebrand Program and Restart Payments, but Overhaul Nonetheless Disregards Lawful Agreements with Farmer-Serving Organizations
Washington, DC, April 14, 2025 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) responded to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s announcement on the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Program (PCSC) being reframed and continued for projects that meet newly created criteria, a move met with some optimism as well as significant concerns.
”After months of self-inflicted uncertainty, today’s announcement is a significant and welcome step toward the clarity that farmers, ranchers, and the organizations who support them have desperately needed, particularly the farmers who have spoken in favor of the program. Unfortunately, this clarity will also bring unnecessary hardship nationwide to farmer serving organizations and likely farmers as a result of USDA changing program requirements and cancelling projects mid-stream,” said Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director.
The USDA announcement, which reframes PCSC as the Advancing Markets for Producers initiative, indicates that USDA will review existing grant agreements for the amount of project funds that go to producers, and whether grant recipients have enrolled and paid at least one producer as of December 31, 2024. The announcement also states that USDA will honor all eligible expenses incurred prior to April 13, 2025, but does not provide clarity on whether grant recipients can make modifications to meet the new criteria.
“Direct producer payments are important, and strong cost share can make all the difference for many farmers and ranchers seeking to adopt new practices in their operations. However, it is disappointing to see the administration disinvest in other valuable elements of PCSC projects beyond direct payments, including technical support for producers designing, implementing, and maintaining conservation systems. Coupling this announcement with USDA’s reductions in force, the administration must take every opportunity going forward to increase access to technical assistance and support the staffing levels necessary to provide efficient and dependable customer service for our farmers – those working directly with USDA and those working with the farmer-serving organizations it partners with,” commented Richa Patel, NSAC Policy Specialist.
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About the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is a grassroots alliance that advocates for federal policy reform supporting the long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities. Learn more: https://sustainableagriculture.net/