The Innovative state-led efforts to finance agricultural conservation report highlights state-level programs that use nontraditional financing mechanisms, including crop insurance discounts and transferable tax credits, to incentivize conservation adoption.

“The solutions in this report helps state and private dollars go further toward increasing the number of acres of farmland under conservation management across the country,” said Dr. Barb Glenn, CEO of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. “We hope that states will exchange ideas with each other about best practices and effective program design for scaling conservation efforts.”

“Existing federal and state conservation programs are essential but provide insufficient funding to meet today’s environmental challenges. In response, states are finding creative ways to incentivize practices that protect drinking water and soil health, and improve the resilience of the agricultural economy,” said Mark Rupp, director for state-federal policy and affairs, Ecosystems at the Environmental Defense Fund.

The efforts highlighted in the report offer multiple demonstrated benefits. Farmers benefit from support in adopting conservation practices. State residents benefit from improved water quality, reduced agricultural water consumption, increased wildlife habitat and a more resilient food system. Taxpayers benefit from programs that are tailored to states’ specific needs to make more cost-effective use of public dollars. The entire country benefits from the incubation of ideas that can be implemented in other states or at the federal level.

The report, which is based on a review of more than 90 state-level agricultural conservation programs, highlights the following:

Source: National Association of Departments of Agriculture, Environmental Defense Fund, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.