Missouri stands to lose more than $1.2 billion in federal funding as the U.S. Department of Agriculture abruptly ends the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Program, a $3 billion national initiative that supported climate-focused agriculture projects.
The program, launched under the Biden administration, aimed to incentivize sustainable farming practices through grants to farmers, nonprofits, universities, and major ag-industry players like Cargill and Edge Dairy. In Missouri, 36 programs were funded under the initiative.
On Monday, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the program’s cancellation, citing “sky-high administration fees” and insufficient support for farmers. “The concerns of farmers took a backseat during the Biden Administration,” Rollins said in the statement.
Some projects will survive under a new program — the Advancing Markets for Producers initiative — which requires that at least 65% of federal funding go directly to producers and that projects have already enrolled and paid at least one producer before the end of 2024.
One project that will continue is the $25 million Conservation Crop and Livestock run by the MU Center for Regenerative Agriculture, which helps farmers with practices like cover cropping, grazing systems, and fertilizer reduction. Director Rob Myers confirmed its continuation, saying it meets the new criteria.
Lincoln University in Jefferson City received $5 million to research hemp’s role in carbon sequestration. Graduate student Joshua Asiamah has been collecting data on hemp’s climate benefits, but the project’s future is now uncertain.
Other Missouri-based recipients, like the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry and the Missouri Organic Association, have not yet commented on how the cancellation will impact their work.
According to the USDA, current participants will be contacted with guidance about their future involvement.
