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The Biden Administration is Spending Its ‘Climate Smart’ Funding in the Wrong Places, According to New Analyses

Summary

On March 4, 2024, Inside Climate News reported on two analyses revealing that the Biden administration's climate-focused funding for American farmers is being allocated inefficiently. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been criticized for directing resources toward methane-reducing programs that may inadvertently increase methane emissions and "climate smart" farming practices that might not be beneficial for the climate. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) scrutinized certain USDA practices recently added to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, raising concerns that some lack climate benefits. Another report by Friends of the Earth and the Socially Responsible Agriculture Project linked USDA spending on methane digesters to the expansion of dairy herds, ultimately resulting in more methane production. These findings raise questions about the effectiveness of the administration's agricultural climate initiatives, especially in light of its commitment to reduce methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030.

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