By Jamie Martin
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has officially cancelled its $3.1 billion Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program. This program, launched in 2022 under former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, was intended to promote farm and forestry products grown using climate-friendly methods.
On April 15, the USDA declared that the initiative had become a “slush fund” and failed to benefit American farmers directly. It found that much of the funding went to corporations, NGOs, and universities, while less than half reached producers.
“The Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities initiative was largely built to advance the green new scam at the benefit of NGOs, not American farmers,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement. “The concerns of farmers took a backseat during the Biden Administration.”
The USDA reported that administrative fees in many projects were too high and not enough funds reached the farmers themselves. Despite attracting many applications and funding products like meat, vegetables, and timber marketed as “climate-smart,” the program faced criticism for favouring large corporations.
Moving forward, the USDA will rebrand the program as the Advancing Markets for Producers Program, removing any climate change references. Under the new version, at least 65% of funds must go directly to farmers.
The department also stated that current grant recipients must have paid at least one farmer by the end of 2024 to remain eligible. While existing costs before April 13 will be reimbursed, no new grants will be given under the old format.
The redesign reflects the USDA’s aim to support producers more directly and create fairer market opportunities in the agricultural sector.
Photo Credit: usda
Categories: National