October 14, 2022
The USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) that promotes sustainable agricultural practices to improve habitat may have an unintended benefit of improving air quality, according to new University of Idaho-led research published in American Geophysical Union’s journal GeoHealth, which investigates the intersection of human and planetary health for a sustainable future.
CRP provides funds for farmers to pause agricultural activity on enrolled lands for 10 to 15 years, letting the landscape recover. On land enrolled in the program, agricultural production is typically paused, and land managers are encouraged to plant species that will improve environmental health and boost biodiversity. The program, which has run since 1985, has resulted in improved water quality and reductions in soil erosion.